In response to the rising cost of medicines, the Maryland state Senate overrode a veto issued last year by Gov. Larry Hogan, who objected to funding a so-called ‘Prescription Drug Affordability Board.’
The board was created two years ago to establish maximum prices that the state and local governments will pay for “high-cost” medicines. More specifically, the entity is designed to function like rate-setting boards that regulate what public utilities can charge residents, a controversial notion that has riled the pharmaceutical industry, which claims the effort will usher in price controls.
The idea emerged amid growing national angst over the cost of prescription drugs and various efforts by state legislators and policy makers to address the problem, including importation and capping the cost of insulin. Maryland took this step after the U.S. Supreme Court scuttled a state law that aimed to bar drug makers from “price gouging” consumers.
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ciclosporin, also spelled cyclosporine and cyclosporin, is a calcineurin inhibitor, used as an immunosuppressant medication. it is a natural product. it is taken by mouth or by injection into a vein for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, crohn’s disease, nephrotic syndrome, and in organ transplants to prevent rejection. it is also used as eye drops for keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eyes).
common side effects include high blood pressure, headache, kidney problems, increased hair growth, and vomiting. other severe side effects include an increased risk of infection, liver problems, and an increased risk of lymphoma. blood levels of the medication should be checked to decrease the risk of side effects. use during pregnancy may result in preterm birth; however, ciclosporin does not appear to cause birth defects.
ciclosporin is believed to work by decreasing the function of lymphocytes. it does this by forming a complex with cyclophilin to block the phosphatase activity of calcineurin, which in turn decreases the production of inflammatory cytokines by t-lymphocytes.
ciclosporin was isolated in 1971 from the fungus tolypocladium inflatum and came into medical use in 1983. it is on the world health organization’s list of essential medicines, the safest and most effective medicines needed in a health system. in 2017, it was the 248th most commonly prescribed medication in the united states, with more than one million prescriptions that year.
medical uses
ciclosporin is approved by the fda to treat and prevent graft-versus-host disease in bone marrow transplantation and to prevent rejection of kidney, heart, and liver transplants. it is also approved in the us for treating of rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, persistent nummular keratitis following adenoviral keratoconjunctivitis, and as eye drops for treating dry eyes caused by sj?gren’s syndrome and meibomian gland dysfunction.
in addition to these indications, ciclosporin is also used in severe atopic dermatitis, kimura disease, pyoderma gangrenosum, chronic hives, acute systemic mastocytosis, and posterior or intermediate uveitis with noninfective cause.needed] it is also used, albeit infrequently, in severe rheumatoid arthritis and related diseases.needed]
ciclosporin has also been used in people with acute severe ulcerative colitis and hives that do not respond to treatment with steroids.
Is it possible the US could catch up to other nations in the world who are already doing this? I live in North Carolina and have been watching as the pharmaceutical industry is increasing product pricing. I’ve even seen it with over-the-counter medicines. With no one to stop them, the consumer/voter just keeps paying more.