Colorado's initiative to reduce prescription drug prices is starting to move forward after years of talk.
Driving the news: The state's Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board, led by appointed medical and pharmaceutical pros, is preparing this summer to consider consumer price caps on at least 18 high-cost drugs.
Why it matters: The board is the cornerstone of election pledges made by Gov. Jared Polis and Democratic lawmakers to lower prescription drug prices as part of a broader effort to address health care costs that includes importing drugs from Canada.
The big picture: Colorado is one of just three states that allow the government to set limits on drug costs, and it's taken the lead as efforts in Maryland and Washington move at a slower pace.
The intrigue: The process of selecting which drugs to target will prioritize certain patients over others, and not all want payment limits.
The other side: Drugmakers opposed the 2021 legislation to create the board because they say the price caps will limit innovation and potentially lead pharmaceutical companies to not operate in the state.
2023-06-05T12:32:37Z dg43tfdfdgfd