Advisory Task Force on Lowering Pharmaceutical Drug Prices
“As the People’s Lawyer, I’ve heard from people in every corner of Minnesota that they’re having trouble affording their lives — and the cost of prescription drugs is a major factor in that. They’re all united in one simple idea; they’re entitled to afford their lives — and drug prices are too high.” - Keith Ellison
To address this problem, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison formed a task force for lowering the cost of pharmaceutical drugs.
Attorney General Ellison has charged the task force with gathering in the best thinking in order to understand why the prices of prescription drugs are so high — in some cases, unconscionably high — and come up with multi-pronged strategies to lower prices. These will include legislative, legal, regulatory, and community-based strategies.
| Final Report | |
|---|---|
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On February 19, 2020, after nearly one year of public study and deliberation, the Task Force has released a full report and executive summary, both of which include the recommendations for lowering prescription drug prices. |
Members of the Task Force:
Nicole Smith-Holt, Charity Ambassador, T1International – Co-chair
Senator Scott Jensen, Senate District 47, Co-Chair
Shirlynn LaChapelle, Nurse Consultant
Dr. Leonard Snellman, General Pediatrician, HealthPartners
Christy Kuehn, Patient Advocate
Rose Roach, Executive Director, Minnesota Nurses Association
Dr. Stephen Schondelmeyer, Director and Professor, PRIME Institute, University of Minnesota
Elo Alston, Patient Advocate
Nazie Eftekhari, Founder and CEO, HealthEZ
Phu Huynh, Pharmacy Manager, NorthPoint Medical Clinic
Jessica Braun, Nurse Practitioner
Dr. Cody Wiberg, Executive Director, Minnesota Board of Pharmacy
Senator Matt Little, Senate District 58
Representative John Lesch, House District 66B
Representative Rod Hamilton, House District 22B
Staff Liaison:
Sadaf Rahmani, ex officio
Section I: Communications
Press Releases
- February 19, 2020:
AG Task Force: Lower Rx drug prices by making markets work for people, using public power to make drugs more affordable, requiring more transparency and accountability - April 3, 2019:
Attorney General Ellison names members of task force on lowering pharmaceutical drug prices -
February 21, 2019:
Attorney General Ellison starts task force for lowering the cost of pharmaceutical drugs
Section II: Resources
Bylaws of Advisory Task Force on Lowering Pharmaceutical Drug Prices
The Real Price of Medications: A survey of variations in prescription drug prices
Written by Reuben Mathew, Lance Kilpatrick, and Adam Garber - U.S. PIRG Education Fund
Taskforce Report - June 2019 Draft
Taskforce Report - February 2019 Final Draft
Presentations:
- Advisory Task Force on Lowering Pharmaceutical Drug Prices: Why It Matters to Employers
Carolyn Pare, President and CEO
Linda Davis, Consultant, Project Manager
Minnesota Health Action Group - Federal efforts to address high prescription drug prices: What's in play in 2019?
Leigh Purvis, Director, Health Services Research
AARP Public Policy Institute - Optimizing Medication Use to Reduce Cost: Medication Therapy Management
Dan Rehrauer, PharmD, Sr. Manager, Medication Therapy Management Program and Community Pharmacy Partnerships
HealthPartners - Prescription Drugs in MN: What We Know and Don't Know
Jan K. Malcolm, Commissioner
Stefan Gildemeister, Director Health Economics Program
Minnesota Department of Health
Graphs:
Section III: Events
Full Task Force Meetings
| # | Date: | Time: | Location: | Agenda | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | April 23, 2019 | 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. | MN State Capitol | Agenda | Minutes |
| 2. | June 18, 2019 | 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. | MN State Capitol Senate room G3 |
Agenda | Minutes |
| 3. | July 23, 2019 | 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. | MN State Capitol Senate room G3 |
Agenda | Minutes |
| 4. | September 25, 2019 | 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. | MN State Capitol Senate room G3 |
Agenda | Minutes |
| 5. | October 23, 2019 | 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. | MN State Capitol Senate room G3 |
Agenda | |
| 6. | November 19, 2019 | 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. | MN State Capitol Senate room G3 |
Minutes | |
| 7. | December 18, 2019 | 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. | MN State Capitol Senate room G3 |
Agenda |
8. February 19, 2020 Final Meeting of the Task Force and Press Conference
Meet as a Group (not open to media)
11:00 a.m. to Noon
Cass Gilbert Library Room 317A, Capitol Conference Rooms, MN State Capitol
Press Conference
Noon to 1:00 p.m.
Press Conference Room B971, MN State Capitol
Working Group Meetings
Working Group #1: Legislation, Regulation Action Group
| # | Date: | Time: | Location: | Agenda | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | May 29, 2019 | 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. | AG's Office, Suite 102 MN State Capitol |
Agenda | Minutes |
| 2. | July 18, 2019 | 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | AG's Office | Agenda | Minutes |
| 3. | August 21, 2019 | 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Minnesota Board of Pharmacy 2829 University Avenue SE in Minneapolis Conference Room A – on the 4th Floor |
Agenda | Minutes |
Working Group #2: Causes & Contributors
| # | Date: | Time: | Location: | Agenda | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | May 08, 2019 | 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. | Conference Room 317 MN State Capitol |
Agenda | Minutes |
| 2. | May 29, 2019 | 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Conference Room 317 MN State Capitol |
Agenda | Minutes |
| 3. | June 26, 2019 | 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Conference Room 317 MN State Capitol |
Agenda | Minutes |
| 4. | July 10, 2019 | 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | AG's Office | Agenda | Minutes |
| 5. | August 7, 2019 | 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Conference Room 317 MN State Capitol |
Agenda | |
| 6. | August 21, 2019 | 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Conference Room 317 MN State Capitol |
Agenda | Minutes |
| 7. | September 4, 2019 | 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Conference Room 317 MN State Capitol |
Minutes |
Working Group #3: Past, Current, and Future Strategies
| # | Date: | Time: | Location: | Agenda | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | May 14, 2019 | 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. | Conference Room 317 MN State Capitol |
Minutes | |
| 2. | July 16, 2019 | 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | HealthEZ 7201 West 78th Street, Suite 100 Bloomington, MN 55439 |
Agenda | Minutes |
| 3. | August 20, 2019 | 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | HealthEZ 7201 West 78th Street, Suite 100 Bloomington, MN 55439 |
Agenda | Minutes |
Listening Sessions
Listening sessions are designed to give Minnesotans all over the state an opportunity to share their personal stories and ideas with members of the task force.
1. Hosted with Senator Scott Jenson
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| June 11th, 2019 | 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | Chaska Community Center 1661 Park Ridge Dr Chaska, MN 55318 |
2. Hosted with Representative Rob Hamilton
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| July 20th, 2019 | 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. | Worthington |
Section IV: Working Groups
Working Group #1: “Legislative Regulatory Action Group”
Task:
Determine the role of the federal and state legislative and regulatory actions in lowering drug prices
Members:
- Sen. Matt Little
- Rep. Rod Hamilton
- Cody Wiberg
- Shirlynn LaChapelle
- Nicole Smith-Holt
Working Group #2: Causes & Contributors
Task:
Identify the root causes and contributing factors to the increase in pharmaceutical drug prices
Members:
- Dr. Stephen Schondelmeyer
- Dr. Leonard Snellman
- Rose Roach
- Rep. John Lesch
- Christy Kuehn
Working Group #3: Past, Current, and Future Strategies
Task:
Conduct a comprehensive analysis of various strategies that have been, and could be, undertaken to lower drug prices
Members:
- Phu Huynh
- Nazie Eftekhari
- Jessica Braun
- Elo Alston
- Sen. Scott Jensen
