Press Conference to Precede S.F. Leg of the Yes on Prop. 61 on the Road for Lower Rx Prices Bus Tour

What: As ballots drop to voters, supporters of Proposition 61 will host a press conference in partnership with VoteVets and the California Nurses Association to speak out against the Big Pharma lies about the California Drug Price Relief Act. The press conference follows this week’s revelation of yet another prescription drug, a schizophrenia drug, that drastically increased by 1,650% as a result of the drug industry’s greedy and unethical business practices.

San Francisco Supervisor David Campos and San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim will join Veterans; Co-President of the California Nurses Association Deborah Burger, and others at a press conference where they will rally supporters to stand up against the pharmaceutical giants. After the press conference, attendees will board the 40-foot double decker On The Road for Lower Rx Prices Bus and pamphlet the city with information on Prop. 61, one of the most pressing issues on the November ballot.

When: Tuesday, 10/11/16 at 10:00AM– 12:00PM
Where: Civic Center Park, McAllister St, San Francisco, CA 94102 – across the street from San Francisco City Hall
Who: SPEAKERS

• David Campos, San Francisco County Supervisor
• Jane Kim, San Francisco County Supervisor
• Emily Yates, Veteran
• Guy Holmes, Veteran
• Eric Koch, Veteran and registered nurse
• Deborah Burger, Co-President of the California Nurses Association and a registered nurse
• Steve Dunwoody, Veteran and California Director of VoteVets

ORGANIZATIONS

• VoteVets
• California Nurses Association
• Californians for Lower Drug Prices
• AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Visual: 40-foot Double Decker On The Road for Lower Rx Prices Bus, EpiPens, and a large inflatable mosquito, to take the sting out of drug prices and stop Big Pharma from sucking up our savings

Eric Koch, a veteran and registered nurse who will speak at Tuesday’s press conference, stated, “As a registered nurse, I care for patients in the telemetry unit at Alta Bates hospital in Berkeley. As a Navy corpsman in the first Gulf War, I provided medical care to the marines. It’s the same drive to help people, in military and civilian life, and that’s why I strongly support Prop 61—to put pressure on big pharma to give everyone a discount on over priced medication. So many patients I care for are going hungry while they pay for meds, or skipping meds because they need to eat. They need a break.”

“I’ve been a nurse for over 30 years, and day in and day out, I see people having to make painful choices between medication and paying for basic needs,” added Jane Sandoval, a registered nurse and board member of the California Nurses Association. “This is an unspeakable tragedy—having to split pills to make them last longer. Prop 61 works to end pharma greed. It’s what our patients deserve.”

Further details on additional statewide stops will be available on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Yeson61/

You can also catch the bus as it makes stops in Orange County, Bakersfield, Modesto, Berkeley, Santa Cruz, Oakland, San Diego, Sacramento, Fresno, Riverside, San Jose, and more!

Background

Prop 61 is a simple measure that allows California to leverage its massive negotiating power to achieve lower drug prices for the most vulnerable Californians. Drug companies are scared of Proposition 61 because they know it will put us on the road to lower drug prices!

Proposition 61 would require the state of California to negotiate with drug companies for drug prices that are no more than is paid for the same drugs by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA). Unlike Medicare, the DVA negotiates for drug prices on behalf of the millions veterans it serves, and pays on average 20-24 percent less for medications than other government agencies, and up to 40 percent less than Medicare Part D. Prop. 61 empowers the state, as the healthcare buyer for millions of Californians, to negotiate a better deal for taxpayers, saving the state billions.