Portland—Next Monday, April 20, a public debate on HB 2300, the Oregon Right To Try Act, will be held at Oregon Health & Science University. HB 2300 would allow doctors to prescribe medicines to the terminally ill that are being used in clinical trials but are not yet on pharmacy shelves. Right To Try would expand access to potentially life-saving treatments years before patients would normally be able to access them.
HB 2300 passed the Oregon State House with unanimous, bipartisan support. It is awaiting action in the State Senate.
The debate will feature two panelists on the pro and con sides of the issue. The “pro” side will be represented by Kurt Altman, the national policy advisor and general counsel to the Goldwater Institute, the group spearheading the national, bipartisan Right To Try effort, and Dr. Chandra Basham. The “con” side will be represented by Dr. Juliana Hansen and Dr. Jeremy Cetnar. The debate will be moderated by Dr. Alan Melnick.
Right To Try laws are already in place in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming. Lawmakers in Oklahoma have sent a similar bill to their governor for approval. Twenty additional states are considering the law this year.
The debate will consider the fundamental question of whether or not dying patients should have the right to take investigational medications in an effort to save their own life, among other ethical and legal issues. The debate is free and open to the public and members of the media.
What: A moderated debate/discussion on HB 2300, Oregon’s “Right to Try” legislation, sponsored by the Benjamin Rush Institute, the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation, and the AMA-MSS at OHSU.
When: Monday, April 20, 5:30-7:15pm
Where: OHSU Collaborative Life Sciences Building, Room 2S060,
2730 SW Moody Avenue, Portland, OR 97201
