Two years ago the District of Columbia inadvertently set in motion a case that potentially expands the rights of patent owners, making them immune from many state and local laws.
The case was the result of legislation the district passed to address the growing problem of skyrocketing prescription drug prices. In recent years, the average cost of prescription drugs jumped more than 10 percent annually. Medicaid and Medicare are supposed to provide a safety net to those who can’t afford prescription drugs, but states are staggering under the programs’ costs. This leaves many individuals with an impossible choice–spend their money on prescription drugs and end up broke, or do without and put their health at risk.
