The landmark prescription drug bill approved by Maine lawmakers this week was vitally important not only to Maine residents, but to the nation itself as it seeks a way to make these crucial medications affordable to everyone. Augusta should be proud of its work on this issue.

Sen. Chellie Pingree, who brought the original legislation, and Gov. Angus King, who helped craft the amended version that was supported Thursday, assembled a bill that goes directly after the fastest-rising costs in health care by using the same market mechanisms the pharmaceutical industry relies on when negotiating with HMOs. Maine Rx, as its called, negotiates lower prices based on buying in bulk. The plan, which will cover about 600,000 residents who either have no health insurance or are insured through Medicaid, is expected to produce savings of about 15 percent when it begins in January and 30 percent to 35 percent savings the year after.

The addition of pharmaceuticals to Maine’s anti-profiteering statute, under the new law, is nearly as important is the lowered prices. The change not only empowers the Attorney General’s Office to prosecute in the event of price gouging, it explicitly states what people dependent on medication have known all along: Pharmaceuticals are a necessity of life and should be treated that way. This is a powerful statement that reflects an emerging consensus of the role of government in health care.

As much as the original Pingree bill, which tied Maine pharmaceutical prices to those in Quebec, was needed to force the industry into recognizing that its widespread price disparities cannot stand, the amended bill is a model that other states can use. Indeed, it broadly reflects federal legislation by Rep. Tom Allen, who would use the same bulk-buying advantages to serve Medicare patients. A half dozen other states, including New Hampshire and Vermont, are considering measures similar to the Maine bill. If these pass, this state should take further advantage of its new law, which encourages cooperation with other states to enhance purchasing strategies.

Even with the sharp increases during the last several years, pharmaceuticals remain less than 20 percent of total health care costs. The negotiated lower prices will not make much of a dent in this total, but they will help thousands of Maine residents, especially the elderly, who are currently spending a large amount of their incomes just for medicine. The change means that fewer people will be forced to choose beteen food and needed drugs. It will save lives.