Thanks to the work of CoPIRG and our allies, many Coloradans will get a better deal on important medications.

Coloradans Get A Break On Rx Drugs
On Jan. 31., in his first act as Colorado’s governor, Gov. Bill Ritter signed an executive measure that will help save Coloradans money on their prescription drugs.

During his address Gov. Ritter credited CoPIRG’s advocacy for our work over the last four years to help bring down the cost of health care in Colorado.

The measure works in two ways. It sets up a preferred drug list, to help Medicaid recipients negotiate lower prices on the most common prescriptions. The measure will also investigate a multi-state buying pool, which would help reduce the cost of drugs for all uninsured Coloradans.

Unfair Drug Prices
On average, uninsured consumers in Colorado pay 77 percent more than the federal government for 12 common prescription medications. Uninsured consumers in Colorado pay 102 percent more, twice as much, for drugs purchased at their local pharmacy than they would pay if they purchased the same drugs from a Canadian pharmacy.

“When the 41 million uninsured Americans go it alone at the drug store, they pay the price—sometimes more than double what government agencies pay to buy the same drugs in bulk for large groups of consumers,” said Rex Wilmouth, director of CoPIRG.

A multi-state buying pool would allow uninsured Coloradans to pool their purchasing power to negotiate a better deal.

In the coming months Colorado will have a chance to expand the cost-saving of the preferred drug list to all uninsured Coloradans, and CoPIRG will be working to ensure that Colorado does just that.