“Dr. Shah” Will Run on Digital Platforms Statewide
New Jersey — Protect Our Care New Jersey and health care advocates held a virtual press conference to announce Protect Our Care’s first digital ad in New Jersey as part of a seven-figure ad campaign about prescription drug prices. The ad features Dr. Shah, a provider from New Jersey whose patients are struggling to afford their prescriptions. In the ad, Dr. Shah tells his personal story and relays the importance of giving Medicare the power to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices for all Americans.
The ad is part of The Campaign to Reduce Drug Prices, a grassroots and communications campaign calling for comprehensive legislation to lower drug prices. The ad will run on digital platforms, focusing particularly on older Americans. Protect Our Care will continue to run ads and host events both nationally and in 13 key states, including New Jersey, throughout the summer.
“Dr. Shah’s story about patients forgoing essential medications is all too familiar in New Jersey and across the country,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “While drug companies are making record profits and raising the price of hundreds of drugs during the pandemic, millions of Americans are forced to choose between paying for the medicines they need to live or paying for food or rent. Americans should not have to pay two or three times more for their medicines than people in other countries. It’s time for New Jersey lawmakers to do the right thing and support giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices. The time to act is now.”
“As an emergency room doctor who specializes in addiction medicine, I meet patients on a regular basis who are experiencing difficulty paying for lifesaving medication,” said Dr. Shah. “One in four New Jerseyans report having to forgo filling a prescription because of skyrocketing costs. Patients shouldn’t be forced to ration medication or delay care because costs are too high. Prescription drug reform is long overdue, and I hope that our members of Congress will help New Jerseyans get the care they need and deserve.”
Script for “Dr. Shah” (:30):
I’ll never forget the time I was treating a patient in the emergency room.
He said, “Doc, I’ve got heart disease and diabetes.
I’ve got to take medications for them both.
But I’ve only got enough money to take one of them.”
To me it was as clear an illustration of how broken prescription drug pricing in this country has become.
This is a problem that affects us all.
It doesn’t make sense for us to prioritize profits over people and most importantly my patients.
We really need Congress to act.
It’s time to let Medicare negotiate drug prices for all of us.
Script for “Dr. Shah” (:15):
I was treating a patient in the emergency room.
He said, “Doc, I’ve got heart disease and diabetes.
I’ve got to take medication, but I’ve only got enough money to take one of them.”
We really need Congress to act.
It’s time to let Medicare negotiate drug prices for all of us.
You can watch the press conference here, and learn more about how the Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3) will make prescription drugs more affordable here.