As we explained in a blog post earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration is going to begin conducting more studies on opioids and forcing drug manufacturers to examine if their products are effective at managing specific chronic pain conditions. While these changes are aimed at helping combat the opioid epidemic, some patients believe the costs for these studies will be passed onto them.

There’s also concerns about cost and access to medications at the local level. Here in Minnesota there has been a bipartisan push to raise registration fees on drug companies to fund treatments and implement more fail-safe addiction policies. A vote on these measures is expected int he coming weeks, but some patients believe these changes forced at the business level will be felt hardest at the consumer level.

Who Funds These Changes?

Cara Schulz, who advocates for patient rights, believes the higher costs and restricted access to medications will affect those who need the drugs the most. Schulz currently takes pain medications to manage discomfort following her stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis.

“I want us to work on ways we can manage addiction, I want people to not be addicted, period. But we can’t say we are going to fix addiction by hurting people who are not addicts and who are just patients trying to be treated by their doctors,” said Schulz, who is in remission.

Instead, Schulz believes the real focus should be on fentanyl and other illicit synthetic substances, not prescription medications. At a minimum, Schulz hopes that patients who meet a certain threshold can earn an exemption so their access to drugs they truly need doesn’t become restricted.

“The method that they’re taking to address this problem puts pain patients and cancer patients squarely in the cross hairs,” she said.

This is something to keep an eye on as we move forward with ways to combat the opioid crisis. With more regulations being forced on big businesses, we have to ensure these costs aren’t just passed down the line to patients. Medication costs are expensive enough in the US, and we won’t be putting the patient first if their medications cost an arm and a leg.