Statement by SCLC President and CEO Dr. Charles Steele, Jr.

Atlanta, GA- SCLC President and CEO Dr. Charles Steele, Jr. “Memphis Police Killing Shows how deeply embedded racism is in the police culture!”

The COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest surrounding racial disparities and systemic racism have put renewed emphasis on closing health and wealth gaps.

Prescription drug pricing, always a hot topic in the battle for equity, has been at the forefront of 

this conversation. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 intensified the scrutiny on access to medicines, co-morbidity, and other issues surrounding health equity.

While many of the issues surrounding prescription drug pricing have focused singularly on the manufacturers, this paper seeks to examine the current state of play in the prescription drug supply chain and marketplace.

In this paper, the authors reviewed the role of the 340B program, Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), Copay Accumulators, and the phenomenon of pharmacy deserts in the utilization of prescription drugs, their costs, and impact on racial health disparities.