Drug-buying pool expands in Oregon

PORTLAND – Beginning today thousands of Oregonians who do not have prescription drug coverage will be able to enroll in a purchasing pool to buy medicine at a discounted price.

The expansion of the Oregon Prescription Drug Program is a result of Measure 44, which voters overwhelmingly passed in November. According to the state, the pool offers savings of up to 60 percent on medicine for an estimated 600,000 uninsured residents of Oregon.

The pool was previously limited to older, lower-income individuals, but now anyone without prescription drug coverage can enroll.

The program doesn’t officially open to enrollment until today, and benefits kick in on Friday. But the state said it has gotten an overwhelming response already.

Missy Dolan, who oversees the program for the state, said her office has received more than 50 applications a day, along with dozens of phone calls, since the measure passed.

The more members, the greater the negotiating power for discounts, which makes enrollment crucial, health advocates say.

“This is a great day for Oregonians through the state,” Sen. Bill Morrisette, a co-petitioner for the ballot measure, said in a statement. “Oregon is once again a trailblazer and sets an example for the federal government to follow.”