News and Reports | May 4, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Patients For Affordable Drugs has reached a major milestone: more than 40,000 vetted patient stories are now on our interactive map, documenting the real-world harm caused by high drug prices. There are stories from every state and every congressional district in the country and the map allows users to explore stories by disease, ZIP code, and more, offering a detailed look at how high drug prices are affecting communities nationwide.
What began with one story — that of founder David Mitchell — has grown into a nationwide movement of patients speaking out against a prescription drug system that is rigged against them. Today, those 40,000 voices are amplified by a community of more than 700,000 advocates and allies fighting for policies that lower prescription drug prices.
“This is a powerful milestone and a sobering reality,” said Merith Basey, CEO of Patients For Affordable Drugs. “High drug prices are not a red state problem or a blue state problem – they are an American problem. And when patients in every congressional district are demanding action, the urgency for lawmakers to act has never been greater.”
Patients are the foundation of P4AD – and the most powerful counterweight to an industry that prioritizes maximizing prices at the expense of patients.
Behind each story is a person or family forced to make impossible choices — between paying for medication or covering basic needs — underscoring the scale of the affordability crisis.
The stories span geography, political affiliation, and medical conditions, but they share a common thread: a system that leaves patients struggling to afford medications they need. Below is a selection of stories shared in recent months:
James from Winchester, TN: “I lost my wife in January. We were both struggling as it was for medications for both of us. Now I have the same amount of bills, but less money. Do I eat or buy my medicine?”
Judy from Sun City, AZ: “I am 78, and I still work at Walmart full time so I can pay for my drugs. Some months, I can’t afford my drugs and hope I don’t stroke out.” ”
Alexander from Saint Leonard, MD: “After being diagnosed with HIV and going through the gauntlet of finding out which medications would work, I was blindsided by the cost of my drugs. I was looking at $3,000+ a month for medication that I could get for $50 a month in Canada. A person shouldn’t have to choose between paying their hospital bill or their rent.”
Les from Gridley, CA: “I’m making decisions about what bills not to pay or what grocery items to skip because the cost of my medication is unreal. I usually don’t get my medication because of the cost. I should not have to choose to either pay for groceries or my medication.”
Rick from Schenectady, NY: “The outrageous price of insulin has, at times, made me decide between paying the heating bill, buying the food I need to combat this disease, or taking a smaller dose of insulin. None of those three is a good choice. In Germany, where my wife is from, insulin is either free or costs very little because it is a life-sustaining medication. If they can do it in Europe, why can’t it be done here? Oh, that’s right, the drug companies are greedy bastards that don’t care if people live or die!”
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Patients For Affordable Drugs is the only national patient advocacy organization focused exclusively on policies that lower prescription drug prices. We empower and mobilize patients by amplifying their experiences with high drug prices to hold those in power to account and fight to shape and achieve system-changing policies that make prescription drugs affordable for all people in the United States. P4AD does not accept funding from organizations that profit from the development and distribution of drugs. To learn more, visit PatientsForAffordableDrugs.org.