Facts about prescription drugs in the Garden State

December 2004 — AARP

Facts about prescription drugs in the Garden State:

1. Pharmaceutical companies charges the State of New Jersey up to 4,000% more than other states to buy drugs.*

2. The top three US pharmaceutical companies together made over $20 billion in profits in 2004.**

3. The State of New Jersey pays more than any other state to pharmaceutical companies for Rx programs.

Call your State Assembly members toll-free at 1-800-260-0130 and urge them to support the New Jersey Rx Program Bill #A1593 and S590.

Call the Governor at 609-290-6000 and ask him to support Bill # A1593 and S590.

* Data provided by the Department of Health Services, Office of the Inspector General’s report published in September 2004. The study was based on Medicaid prices paid for a sample of 28 brand-names and generic medications in 2001. Full report available from: http://oig.hhs.gov/w-new.asp.

** Data taken from the “Forbes 2000 List." The three most profitable companies were Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, and Merck.