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I'm an Ohioan with cerebral palsy. My wife and I are awaiting the birth of our first child, and on top of the usual concerns of any father-to-be, I find myself deeply worried about the access and price of a drug I depend on to maintain a productive life and provide for my growing family.
I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that affects both motor function and muscle control, as an infant. One of my main symptoms is spasticity, which makes my muscles unusually stiff and tight, making movement difficult and sometimes painful.
For two decades, I’ve relied on a prescription medication called Baclofen to keep spasticity under control. It relaxes my muscles, allowing me to function independently and have a meaningful career.
At age 30, with a family and finances that depend on me, that medication has never been more important, allowing me to run my freelance editing business from home and provide financial support for my family.
It is impossible for me to imagine life without a regular supply of that medicine.
If I stopped taking Baclofen, there would be a risk of serious, even life-threatening seizures. Access to this medication is the singular most important resource that allows me to live a productive life. Any loss of convenient access to my medicine impacts not just my status as breadwinner, but my health -- and even my life.
Thankfully, I have not experienced a seizure from losing access to my prescription -- yet. I’ve always been able to obtain renewed prescriptions and fill them at a nearby pharmacy. But across Ohio, pharmacies are closing at an alarming rate. According to the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, the number of retail pharmacies fell by over 20 percent between 2015 and 2024, from 2,211 to 1,756. The state recorded 29 closures in 2024 alone, raising concerns about access to the medications people depend upon.
This leaves me far from confident about the future.
Affordability is another serious problem. A 2026 survey found that 29 percent of Ohio adults surveyed had rationed medication because of cost during the previous year. Some skipped doses or cut pills in half, while others simply didn’t fill their prescriptions. This is not an option for me.
And I am not alone. According to the Ohio Department of Health, roughly 61 percent of Ohioans reported suffering from at least one chronic disease in 2024. For patients like us, discussions of drug prices and pharmacy access are not just dry debates relegated to offices of government bureaucrats. I need access to drugs because I genuinely can’t live safely and independently without my medication.
People with chronic conditions need reliable, affordable access to the medications that allow them to live independently. Nobody should have to worry about whether they can afford a prescription or find somewhere to fill it.
Ohio lawmakers should make preserving access to essential medications a priority. That means addressing the pressures driving pharmacy closures while also working to ensure that critical maintenance medications remain affordable.
My wife and I are looking forward to an exciting new chapter when our baby arrives in December. I want to be the husband and father my family needs, both physically and financially.
I am not asking for special treatment, but for something much simpler: the ability to reliably obtain and afford the medication that makes all of that possible.
For me, and countless other Ohioans who depend on daily medications, access is not a convenience. It is what makes independence possible. Ohio should make sure that access is not something we have to fear losing.
MICHAEL BAKER
Michael Baker is a freelance editor and cerebral palsy patient who lives and works in Warren. He is also a soon-to-be father, focused on being at his best for his family.