Award Honorees Embody Our Commitment to the Public Health Safety Net

By: Brandon M. Macsata, CEO, ADAP Advocacy Association

The ADAP Advocacy Association announced earlier this week the honorees for its Annual ADAP Leadership Awards, which recognize individual, community, government and corporate leaders who are working to improve access to care and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS — including under the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). The 2017-2018 award honorees reflect the theme of the organization's 11th Annual ADAP Conference, “Mapping a New Course to Protect the Public Health Safety Net,” being held in next month in Washington, DC.

As in years past, it is always difficult selecting the honorees for the various awards because so much amazing work continues to be done fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic. But some work always stands out and it deserves our recognition! It is our way of saying, thank you.

The following awards will be presented during the Annual ADAP Leadership Awards Dinner, which will be hosted on Friday, September 21st:

• ADAP Lifetime Achievement awarded posthumously to Gary R. Rose. As we noted earlier this year, Gary was One for the Roses.

• “William E. Arnold” ADAP Champion awarded to Evelyn Foust, Director of the North Carolina DHHS Communicable Diseases Branch. Evelyn has been instrumental in the implementation of the ADAP premium assistance in the state. 

• ADAP Emerging Leader awarded to Tori Cooper. Learn more about her groundbreaking work. Tori currently serves as a prevention specialist at Positive Impact Health Centers in Atlanta, GA.

• ADAP Corporate Partner awarded to Lambda Legal for their tireless work on behalf of so many people living with HIV/AIDS, including most recently with Harrison v. Mattis & Doe v. Mattis. 

• ADAP Lawmaker awarded to the Honorable John McCain, Arizona’s senior U.S. Senator, for his courageous thumbs down vote against repealing the Affordable Care Act. Sen. McCain's surprise vote ensured countless people living with HIV/AIDS continued to receive care. Former President Barack Obama even called McCain to thank him!

• ADAP Community Organization awarded to the Community Research Initiative ("CRI"), based in Boston, MA. CRI embodies the community-based focus that has long been associated with appropriate and timely access to care and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS. Serving over 12,000 clients in the greater metropolitan area of Boston, CRI not only manages Massachusetts’ AIDS Drug Assistance Program, but it has also been on the front lines in fighting Hepatitis C, training service providers on culturally competent care, and advocating for successful prevention strategies, just to name a few. Learn more at https://crine.org. 

• ADAP Media awarded to Larisa Epatko with PBS News Hour for her "5 good news stories about the fight against HIV/AIDS," which was posted on June 13, 2018. 

• ADAP Grassroots Campaign awarded to Let’s Kick A$$ for their "Long-Term Survivors Stories Public Service Announcement," which features Long-Term Survivors sharing their personal stories what it means them to be a long-term survivor. 

• ADAP Social Media Campaign awarded to Jennifer Vaughan for her YouTube channel,"Jennifer’s Positive HIV Life,"with over 10,000 subscribers and with almost 2 million views on her 90+ videos about living with HIV/AIDS.

Information about the awards (including former honorees) is listed online at  www.adapadvocacyassociation.org/awards.html.

Tickets for the awards dinner can be purchased online. This year's awards dinner will be headlined by the one and only, Josh Robbins (who also happens to be a past award honoree).

Congratulations to the honorees of the 2017-2018 ADAP Leadership Awards!

What is All the Fuss Over Drug Importation?

By: Brandon M. Macsata, CEO, ADAP Advocacy Association

The rising cost of prescription drugs is on everyone's mind, and the issue is increasingly being scrutinized by the executive and legislative branches inside the Beltway. Even President Donald J. Trump has raised the issue over prescription drugs costs — though it typically ins't a signature Republican issue — and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has recently introduced legislation to allow drug importation. The debate over drug importation is a complex one, often muddled by talking points by both sides.

Here is how the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) defines drug importation:

"Drug re-importation refers to the practice of importing back to the United States prescription drugs that were originally manufactured in the U.S. and exported for sale in another country. Most often, Americans re-import drugs for personal use by filling their prescriptions in Canadian or Mexican pharmacies, either in person, or through mail-order or Internet pharmacies."1

Proponents of the drug importation cite the need for consumers to access less expensive prescriptions drugs. According to a relatively recent national survey commissioned by Gallup, "27% of Americans name cost as top health problem."2

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) found that one in ten Americans cannot afford their prescription drugs. That same study found approximately 1.6% of consumers have bought prescription drugs from another country.[3]

“There is no reason why drug importation should be a problem for the United States," said Eddie Hamilton of the ADAP Educational Initiative based in Ohio. "Generic Abacavir is already being imported into the U.S. from India  for domestic patients by ADAPs without issue.”

Photo Source: Huffington Post

The Sanders legislation is only latest attempt by Congress to allow drug importation. It has also gained support from some colleagues — Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Bob Casey (D-PA) — in the Senate who had previously opposed drug importation legislation.

Though AARP hasn't yet endorsed the Sanders legislation (S.469), similar legislation did receive support from the organization. In 2009, AARP Senior Vice President David Sloane argued: “AARP is committed to helping our members and all older Americans have greater access to and reduced costs for the prescription drugs they need, including both through safe importation and other important measures such as closing the dreaded coverage gap in Medicare Part D known as the ‘doughnut hole.’"[3]

Senator Sanders isn't alone in his fight over drug importation, because Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has also introduced similar legislation. The McCain legislation (S.92) has bipartisan support, unlike the Sanders legislation.

Opponents have equally strong arguments against drug importation. Among them, concern over drug safety, including counterfeit or black market drugs. In 2014, a new resource for the HIV/AIDS community and their doctors was made available by the Community Access National Network (CANN) and Partnership for Safe Medicines. The resource, "Black Market HIV Drugs in the News, 2006-2013," sought to increase awareness of the severe health risks posed by counterfeit or black market medicines.[4]

Summarized Bill Arnold, CANN's President & CEO, who continues to have doubts about drug importation: "The importation or re-importation of medications from outlets other than those regulated by the FDA and other U.S. authorities is particularly dangerous for the HIV-positive patient. In the past, anti-retroviral drugs from this grey, or black, market system have turned up in many places. These drugs have turned out to be completely fake, improper potency, contaminated, and worse."

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), who also opposes drug importation, has been very local about pitfalls over the potential lack of drug safety. The issue is characterized as "unsafe and lead to potentially dangerous outcomes for patients."[5]

PhRMA will host a policy briefing on the issue. The briefing, "Safety and the Supply Chain: Ensuring Prescription Medicines are Safe for Patients," will discuss the important role of the FDA in ensuring the safety of medicines from test tube to patient, the threat of counterfeit drugs to patient safety, the importance of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act and the implications of drug importation proposals. It is open to all interested stakeholders, but advance registration is required.[6]

It appears that Senator Sanders anticipated the pushback over drug safety, because his legislation requires foreign sellers to register with the FDA, as well as other safety measures. The add-ons should alleviate some concerns, but not all of them.

The ADAP Advocacy Association has also traditionally opposed drug importation, but it remains open to dialogue on the issue. Like most public policy issues, there is no easy answer or solutions. To that end, drug importation will be part of the conversation during our 10th Annual Conference later this year.

To register for the 10th Annual Conference, go to our website.
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[1] American Association of Retired Persons (AAPR), Prescription Drug Re-Importation Question and Answer Sheet, 2016; available online at http://assets.aarp.org/www.aarp.org_/articles/international/ReimportationQA.pdf.
[2] Gallup, Cost Edges Access as Most Urgent U.S. Health Problem, December 7, 2016; available online at http://www.gallup.com/poll/199169/cost-edges-access-urgent-health-problem.aspx?g_source=prescription+drug+costs&g_medium=search&g_campaign=tiles. 
[3] Renal & Urology News, Almost 1 in 10 Americans Can't Afford Medications Says CDC, February 4, 2015; available online at http://www.renalandurologynews.com/news/cdc-americans-can-not-afford-medications-eight-percent/article/395374/. 
[4] American Association of Retired Persons (AAPR), AARP Response to Senate Block on Prescription Drug Importation Legislation, December 11, 2009; available online at http://www.aarp.org/about-aarp/press-center/info-03-2010/aarp_response_tosenateblockonprescriptiondrugimportationlegislat.html.
[4] Partnership for Safe Medicines, Patient Advocates Warn of Dangers of Black Market HIV Medicines, May 21, 2014; available online at http://www.safemedicines.org/2014/05/patient-advocates-warn-of-dangers-of-black-market-hiv-medicines5-22-14.html.
[5] Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), Fact Check Friday: The truth about drug importation and patient safety, February 24, 2017; available online at http://catalyst.phrma.org/fact-check-friday-the-truth-about-drug-importation-and-patient-safety.
[6] Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), Safety and the Supply Chain: Ensuring Prescription Medicines are Safe for Patients, February 23, 2017.