NEW SURVEY: Four in Five Americans Support Reforms to the Patent System to Lower Drug Prices

A new report from the Franklin & Marshall’s Center for Opinion Research and the Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge (I-MAK) reveal Americans’ top concerns on drug pricing.

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK / ACCESS Newswire / October 20, 2025 / The Initiative for Medicines, Access and Knowledge (I-MAK) released findings from a comprehensive survey of 726 American adults examining public attitudes toward prescription drug pricing and potential reforms. Conducted by Franklin & Marshall College’s Center for Opinion Research in June 2025, the survey reveals unprecedented bipartisan consensus on the urgent need for prescription drug reform, with patent reform emerging as the most politically viable solution.

The findings come as Americans face a prescription drug affordability crisis, with one in three prescription drug users skipping or delaying medications due to cost, and 31% unable to fill at least one prescription in the past year.

A Healthcare System in Crisis

More than one-third of Americans (36%) report the healthcare system is not meeting their needs, with affordability concerns dominating. Nearly seven in ten Americans (69%) believe the healthcare system needs major reform-including 78% of Democrats and 55% of Republicans.

Among those taking prescription medications, 58% percent employ cost-cutting strategies such as skipping doses or delaying prescriptions. The impact falls disproportionately on women and lower-income families.

Overwhelming Recognition of Pricing Problems

Americans have reached a clear consensus on the problem: prescription drug prices in the U.S. are unsustainable.

• 82% believe American consumers pay more for drugs than those in other developed countries

• 84% believe pharmaceutical companies make too much profit

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  61% attribute high prices to pharmaceutical company greed and profit-seeking behavior

• Americans rate prescription drug prices as unreasonable

Remarkable Bipartisan Support for Patent Reform

The survey reveals strong consensus across party lines for specific policy interventions. Nine in ten Americans support market-based reforms including making it easier for generic drugs to reach the market.

A striking finding sets patent reform apart from other policy approaches: 80% of Americans support changes to patent laws to address drug pricing-significantly higher than support for direct government price controls (65%).

This represents a critical insight for policymakers. Patent reform enjoys broader acceptance than traditional regulatory approaches across all demographic groups, with middle-income Americans showing particular support for these market-based solutions.

“This survey provides policymakers with unambiguous evidence of what Americans want,” said Tahir Amin, CEO and founder of I-MAK. “Patent reform is our best path forward for addressing a root cause of high drug prices in a bipartisan manner.”

To read the full report, visit www.i-mak.org/survey

Contact Information

Simon Tam
Director of Communications
simon@i-mak.org
(443) 267-4666

SOURCE: Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge

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