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John Nutting of Leeds is a former state senator and former farmer.
In Washington, health care reform is often reduced to slogans: “lower costs,” “expand access,” “invest in innovation.” But in Maine, we don’t speak in slogans. We speak in quiet decisions made at the pharmacy counter, in the long drive to the nearest clinic, in the daily math of a family budget strained by insulin prices. If Congress wants to understand what real health care reform looks like, it should start here.
Rep. Jared Golden has rightly earned a reputation for listening to veterans, small-business owners and rural Mainers — all of whom are too often overlooked. Now, he’s listening to Mainers worried about pharmacy closures, hyper-digitization, and rising costs.
In Maine, a third of the state’s independent pharmacies closed between 2013 and 2023. In too many towns, the last remaining pharmacy doubles as an urgent care clinic, doctor’s office and source of trusted advice. When those stores shutter, patients lose more than a place to pick up pills — they lose one of the few places in the health care system that still knows their name. In addition, hospitals and providers are in short supply in rural counties, so these pharmacy closures are part of a broader collapse. According to the Maine Rural Health Research Center, rural Mainers are more likely to skip needed care due to distance.
These closures have ripple effects far beyond convenience. A lost pharmacy usually means delayed prescriptions, missed vaccinations and fewer touchpoints for early intervention when health issues arise. For aging populations, particularly in rural towns where transportation access is limited, that loss can be devastating. It’s not just about medication; it’s about maintaining a lifeline to everyday health care.
In addition, rural Mainers are struggling to access much-needed medication information. Big Pharma is pushing to fully digitize patient medication information — the instructions and important info attached to prescriptions at the pharmacy — to help its bottom line. But printed information protects older adults who don’t have internet access, rural patients managing multiple medications, or anyone without the time or tools to decipher a website or QR code.
Imagine asking an 80-year-old in Hancock County to scan a QR code for directions on a new heart medication, or a working mom without reliable internet in Aroostook County to search online for dosage instructions after her long day of work. These could be daily realities for Mainers who depend on clarity and simplicity in their care. Keeping that information printed and accessible isn’t just a convenience; it’s a matter of safety and equity.
Thankfully, Golden has reintroduced a bill in Congress, the Patients’ Right to Know Their Medication Act (H.R. 5133), to fix the problem. The bill requires drug manufacturers to provide patients with clear, FDA-approved printed information about their prescriptions.
Golden continues to listen to underserved patients. By reintroducing this modest, deeply practical bill, Golden has shown his capacity to confront the health care challenges we face here in Maine, even when they’re not the issues typically grabbing national headlines.
That kind of leadership matters in a state like Maine. Golden’s focus on practical solutions — rooted in fairness, transparency and common-sense leadership — showcases the kind of approach Washington desperately needs.
Our health care system is failing to meet people where they are. In a state like Maine, reform doesn’t need to be flashy. It needs to be grounded, local, and durable. It means listening to what patients actually need — accessible care, trusted providers and the dignity of being treated like a human being rather than a datapoint. By leading the Patients’ Right to Know Their Medication Act, Golden is proving he understands that.
We don’t need slogans. We need solutions. Thankfully, Golden is delivering.