Majority of Americans Support Government-Regulated Drug Prices, Poll Says

Nearly two-thirds of Americans want the government to do more to regulate prescription drug prices, according to a new healthcare poll that finds most adults still have a low opinion of the drug industry.

Public concerns about prescription drug prices and pharmaceutical company profits have translated into support for many proposals to control drug costs, notes a recent survey of 1,201 adults conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation. For example, 80 percent of respondents support allowing the federal government to use its buying power to negotiate lower drug prices under Medicare, the poll found. Only 13 percent of respondents oppose the idea of direct price negotiations.

The public also continues to blame the drug industry for rising healthcare costs, even as it recognizes the benefits of pharmaceutical products. Although 78 percent said prescription drugs have had a positive effect on the health and quality of life of Americans, half of the respondents have an unfavorable opinion of the pharmaceutical industry, and 70 percent believe drug companies put profits ahead of safety. The public also doesn't believe that R&D is driving up drug costs. Seventy-four percent said company profit margins or marketing costs are the largest contributors to the price of drugs. And more than 80 percent said drug costs are not justified, the report found.

To view the Kaiser HealthPoll Report, go to http://www.kff.org/healthpollreport/ feb_2005/index.cfm (http://www.kff.org/healthpollreport/%20feb_2005/index.cfm).