The Bogalusa chapter of the AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, and now officially designated as “AARP”) will join the national organization Thursday as it joins the campaign against high prices for prescription drugs.

The local chapter’s meeting will be Thursday at 3 p.m. at the Washington Parish Council on Aging, located at 603 Willis Ave. in Bogalusa. One focus of the meeting will be “Stop Rx Greed,” which has been described as a “nationwide campaign to take action now to lower drug prices.”

The guest speakers will be Nancy McBeth, executive director for the Washington Parish Council on Aging; Mattie Reynolds, with Humana; and Donna Ricard, with the Capitol Area Agency. In addition, there will be information provided about the U.S. Census and that April is National Security Month, as well as remarks by Trupani Bonner with The Media Group.

Partners in this month’s AARP meeting are the Washington Parish Council on Aging, Nielsen’s Pharmacy and Medical Equipment, Rocky’s Med Shoppe, and Humana.

Erika Stratmann, with the AARP of Washington, D.C., provided information detailing the “Stop Rx Greed” campaign:

AARP has announced the launch of “Stop Rx Greed,” a nationwide campaign aimed at lowering prescription drug prices. The goal of AARP’s sustained campaign is to help drive down drug prices for D.C. residents and all Americans by advocating for a variety of legislative, executive and regulatory actions at both the federal and state level.

The Stop Rx Greed campaign will include national television, radio and digital ads, editorial content, emails to members, social media posts, ongoing advocacy and grassroots activity in the United States, and a petition calling on Congress and the Trump Administration to take action now. As part of the campaign, AARP will push for support of a number of policy solutions at the national and state level to help lower drug prices, including:

• Allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices.
• Allowing states to negotiate lower prices with drug companies.
• Giving stat Attorneys General authority to crack down on outrageous price increases.
• Clamping down on pay-for-delay and other loopholes that keep lower cost generic drugs off the market.
• Capping consumers’ prescription drug out-of-pocket costs.
• Preserving state pharmacy assistance programs.

Citizens can do their part to take action and support the #StopRxGreed campaign.

• Tell Congress to “Stop Rx Greed” and cut drug prices now.
• Share a personal story about why lowering drug prescription drug prices matters to you (this can be done online at www.aarp.org/rx).
• Visit www.aarp.org/rx for more about the policy issues and advocacy campaign.
• Join the discussion on social media with the hashtag #StopRxGreed.