Maryland is partnering with SIRUM, a nonprofit redistributor of surplus medicine, to expand access to affordable prescription drugs to state residents, Gov. Wes Moore said Thursday.

“Getting the medicine you need at an affordable rate should be a right, and it should not just be a privilege,” Moore said.

The Democratic governor called the partnership a “game changer” for Marylanders with high prescription drug costs. One in two Marylanders are worried about affording their prescriptions, Moore said, and many skip doses due to high costs.

“At a time when we see rising prices of just about everything all across the country and all across the world, we are making it easier for working people to keep money in their pockets where it belongs,” he said.

SIRUM, or Supporting Initiatives to Redistribute Unused Medicine, is the largest redistributor of surplus medications. The venture, incubated at Stanford University, provides the medications through its nonprofit pharmacy Good Pill.

Anyone with a Maryland mailing address who is either uninsured or faces high copays or deductibles through insurance is eligible to get their prescriptions filled through Good Pill.

Most of the medications are $2 for a 30-day supply of generic drugs, according to Kiah Williams, one of SIRUM’s co-founders. Medications for chronic conditions are generally shipped with a 90-day supply.

The partnership can help people like Erica Miller.

Well into her adult life, Miller said Thursday, she found out that she has adult ADHD. Initially resistant to medication, the mother of two tried pharmaceuticals and found relief.

“The static noise and racing thoughts disappeared, and for the first time in my life, I experienced a quiet mind,” she said. “It was life-changing — my focus and my performance at work improved, tasks felt manageable and my anxiety quieted as I finally felt like I had things under control.”

Though her medication was expensive, Miller was able to afford the nearly $100 copay until she lost her health insurance and was hit with a $600 bill for the medication. Miller was then faced with a tough choice: afford the medication or take care of her family.

Miller lost her job.

“Drugs do not work if people cannot afford them,” she said. “We cannot afford to wait to take action in Maryland.”

The partnership is not the only step Maryland officials have taken to reduce high prescription drug costs for residents.

Legislation to expand the authority of the Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board to allow it to set upper payment limits on medications for state residents has passed both chambers of the General Assembly. The Senate version of the measure passed through the chamber Wednesday night.

“Too many people in our state struggle to pay for their essential medications, and we must do more to make drugs affordable for all,” Vincent DeMarco, president of the Maryland Health Care for All Coalition, said in a statement Thursday morning. “Maryland was a leader by establishing the first board of its kind in the nation. With final approval of this bill, we will again be a national leader in the fight to bring down drug costs.”

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