Lately, I have often been asked, “Why is Maine trying to do so many things with prescription drug programs?” The answer is simple and powerful. Maine aspires to be the leading state in the nation in the number of residents able to affordably access and carefully use needed prescription drugs. Period.

Reliance on prescription drugs is an increasingly important, if not essential, part of life for hundreds of thousands of Mainers and millions of people across the United States. Prescription drugs help preserve health and prevent disease, illness, and debilitation. They truly save lives.

Unfortunately, many of these life-sustaining and death- and disease-preventing drugs are not accessible to tens of thousands of Mainers and millions across America because of the barrier of high, and often times excessive, prescription drug costs.

Two major national reports released in the last two months by: Families USA, a Washington, D.C., health advocacy group and The Public Citizen Group founded by Ralph Nader have pointed to major faults in the current system of pharmaceutical manufacture, distribution and sale. These reports have documented what people who watch the evening news have already speculated; that many drug manufacturers spend far more money on marketing and advertising than they do on research and development of new drugs.

Marketing is not limited to television, print and radio. Physicians tell me of free lunches, subsidies for meetings, travel and other financial enticements that they are offered by the drug manufacturing companies in efforts to encourage them to use or promote certain medications.

In addition to marketing and advertising, large amounts of money are being spent for lawyers and lobbyists here in Maine and throughout the country. Their job is to subvert, block, or challenge efforts to reduce the costs of prescription drugs, obtain discounts or employ simple cost saving practices such as the prior authorization of certain drugs with lower priced therapeutic equivalents. While opposed by manufacturers, these steps are intended to save money for patients and payers without compromising safety.

Fortunately, Maine as a state, and the Department of Human Services as one important component in the state’s campaign, have persisted in our efforts to obtain better access to needed medications for Maine people by pushing for discounts, fairer pricing and rebates to help reduce drug costs. Maine has had powerful leadership and strong support from Gov. King, Legislative leaders in both political parties, Attorney General Steve Rowe and our congressional delegation in Washington.

Unsung heroes in Maine’s efforts are the nine physicians and eight pharmacists who voluntarily give of their time, experience and unbiased clinical opinions in helping to guide the state’s drug utilization policies and proposals. Thanks to the efforts of this group, in concert with a creative and determined group of state employees and Senior advocates, thousands of Mainers are now getting the prescriptions they need at a discount at any of Maine’s pharmacies.

Important programs such as the Healthy Maine Prescriptions Program, the Maine RX Program and the state’s extensive use of prior authorization in the Medicaid Program, have already achieved discounts and savings for tens of thousands of Maine people and have saved the state from spending unnecessary millions in tax dollars.

Even with this progress, we still have many miles to travel – there is clearly a need for a Medicare discount and Medicare subsidy for seniors. Important drugs such as those that reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and many others, are now being used by only a fraction of the people whose physicians say should have them.

Maine needs to keep pressing forward as a state. The federal government needs to do more than it has done to date, and the drug manufacturing industry needs to come forward and demonstrate much more compassion and responsibility for the millions of Americans and tens of thousands of people in Maine whose health, and often whose lives depend upon their products.

Two hundred and twenty-five thousand Maine people are eligible for the Healthy Maine Prescription Program, and 61,000 already using the card and getting the discount prices. People who don’t have prescription drug insurance and need help with the cost of their prescriptions can call 1-866-796-2463 for program information.

As a way to further progress on access to prescription medications at all levels, might I suggest that manufacturers recognize Maine’s efforts for what they are: a humane, compassionate, and responsible set of state initiatives with one major goal in mind – getting needed medications to Maine people more affordably.

By joining up with Maine in an authentic partnership to expand needed and affordable prescriptions, manufacturers could help set new benchmarks to be imitated for the better across the rest of the United States.

Kevin W. Concannon is commissioner of the Maine Department of Human Services.