The Unintended Consequences of State Prescription Drug Affordability Boards

Policy & Medicine June 23, 2024
Thomas Sullivan

Recently, Health Affairs published a review of State Prescription Drug Affordability Boards (PDABs), covering unanswered questions and unintended consequences. The intent behind PDABs is to lower spending on prescription drugs and improve affordability for patients. In the article, authors looked at key components of PDAB legislation in four states – Colorado, Minnesota, Maryland, and Washington – because those states passed legislation allowing PDABs the authority to set upper payment limits for prescription drugs that are deemed “unaffordable.”

PDAB Composition

In the states reviewed for the article, PDABs are statutorily composed of between five and seven voting members who have knowledge and expertise in health care economics and/or clinical medicine. By way of example, the entire Colorado board is clinicians while...

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