Recently in Legislation Category
You can visit Pharma Live's Med Ad News Web site to download two podcasts on healthcare issues by John Kamp, the Coalition's Executive Director.
The first is on the defeated but still looming ad tax bill. The second is an overview and analysis of the "New FDA".
You can download them here: http://downloads.pharmalive.com/
MedAD News plans to present three more podcasts in this series.
The first is on the defeated but still looming ad tax bill. The second is an overview and analysis of the "New FDA".
You can download them here: http://downloads.pharmalive.com/
MedAD News plans to present three more podcasts in this series.
The February issue of MM&M magazine spotlights Policymed.com blogger Tom Sullivan.
Read the article here:sullivan_mmandm_feb1_10.pdf
Your comments are encouraged.
Read the article here:sullivan_mmandm_feb1_10.pdf
Your comments are encouraged.
Interesting discussion on why corporate backing of medical research is NOT a bad thing:
Corporate Backing for Research? Get Over It!
John Tierney in the New York Times, Jan. 25, 2010
Hyperscrutiny of Academic-Industrial Relationships: Potential for Unintended Consequences
Tom Sullivan's Policy and Medicine Blog, Jan. 27, 2010
More thoughts on the issue on Tom Sullivan's Policy and Medicine Blog
Read about it and join the discussion here.
Corporate Backing for Research? Get Over It!
John Tierney in the New York Times, Jan. 25, 2010
Hyperscrutiny of Academic-Industrial Relationships: Potential for Unintended Consequences
Tom Sullivan's Policy and Medicine Blog, Jan. 27, 2010
More thoughts on the issue on Tom Sullivan's Policy and Medicine Blog
Read about it and join the discussion here.
First Amendment scholar Laurence Tribe provides thoughts on use of prescription data:
From WLF Legal Backgrounder, December 11, 2009 - Vol. 24, No. 40 --
A constitutional flu has taken hold in New England, and it threatens to spread throughout the country. New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont have each recently enacted laws generally making it a crime to transfer entirely truthful information about prescriptions with the purpose of promoting prescription drugs. The point of these laws is neither to prevent misleading drug advertising or labeling nor to protect patient privacy -- other rules prohibit deceptive or otherwise unfair promotional practices and keep patients' identities confidential.
From WLF Legal Backgrounder, December 11, 2009 - Vol. 24, No. 40 --
A constitutional flu has taken hold in New England, and it threatens to spread throughout the country. New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont have each recently enacted laws generally making it a crime to transfer entirely truthful information about prescriptions with the purpose of promoting prescription drugs. The point of these laws is neither to prevent misleading drug advertising or labeling nor to protect patient privacy -- other rules prohibit deceptive or otherwise unfair promotional practices and keep patients' identities confidential.
Continue reading The Fatal First Amendment Flaw In Prescription Restraint Statutes.
Continuing his "ongoing probe into conflicts of interest" Senator Chuck Grassley this week sent letters to the American Medical Association, Alzheimer's Association, the American Cancer Society and 30 other disease and medical advocacy organizations asking them to provide details about the amount of money that they and their directors receive from drug and device makers. Read more, including Senator Grassley's letter, in Thomas Sullivan's Policy and Medicine Blog.
In one of her final acts as NJ Attorney General, Anne Milgram's office has issued a new report, "Physician Compensation Arrangements," recommending limitations to physician-industry relationships for state agencies that go above and beyond guidelines outlined by PhRMA and other organizations.
Although this proposal comes from the office of the outgoing Attorney General, and would be an unlikely top priority for the Christie Administration, many of the recommendations could be implemented in the Garden State without legislation. Recommendations that could soon be implemented include:
Although this proposal comes from the office of the outgoing Attorney General, and would be an unlikely top priority for the Christie Administration, many of the recommendations could be implemented in the Garden State without legislation. Recommendations that could soon be implemented include:
- Banning all food, entertainment, etc., paid for by industry, going above and beyond the PhRMA guidelines
- Requirement that doctors report financial compensation of $200 or more from the pharmaceutical industry over the past two years
- Require 25% of physician CME be obtained from evidence-based educational programs or academic detailing (government controlled CME)
- Directive that the NJ Legislature limit commercial use of prescriber data, similar to requirements enacted in New Hampshire and other states
Coalition Statement - DTC Advertising
Recent news coverage regarding a Harvard Medical School study showing correlation between Plavix price increases for Medicaid programs in 27 states and direct-to-consumer advertising costs is unfounded. As study authors concluded, DTC advertising was not associated with an increase in Plavix use above preexisting trends. Additionally, Medicaid pharmacy expenditures increased substantially only after the initiation of DTC advertising because of an increase in the cost per unit. These findings prove nothing about DTC advertising value for patients, or even the relationship between DTC advertising and product pricing.
DTC plays a critical role in informing patients about their treatment choices, and as the starting point in a dialogue between physician and patient in defining a treatment path. The Coalition supports responsible, effective communication on treatment benefits and risks that improve physician-patient dialogue and foster better care. Limiting FDA-vetted healthcare information impedes access to fair-balance information and stunts two-way dialogue between a patient and their doctor critical to improving medical treatment and quality-of-life.
Recent news coverage regarding a Harvard Medical School study showing correlation between Plavix price increases for Medicaid programs in 27 states and direct-to-consumer advertising costs is unfounded. As study authors concluded, DTC advertising was not associated with an increase in Plavix use above preexisting trends. Additionally, Medicaid pharmacy expenditures increased substantially only after the initiation of DTC advertising because of an increase in the cost per unit. These findings prove nothing about DTC advertising value for patients, or even the relationship between DTC advertising and product pricing.
DTC plays a critical role in informing patients about their treatment choices, and as the starting point in a dialogue between physician and patient in defining a treatment path. The Coalition supports responsible, effective communication on treatment benefits and risks that improve physician-patient dialogue and foster better care. Limiting FDA-vetted healthcare information impedes access to fair-balance information and stunts two-way dialogue between a patient and their doctor critical to improving medical treatment and quality-of-life.
As expected, the ad tax is back on the table as part of the pending health care reform legislation. Jim Davidson, head of the Advertising Coalition, is recommending calls to Senators urging REJECTION of the medical advertising tax proposal of Senator Franken-MN and two cosponsors, Senators Whitehouse-RI and Brown-OH.
Immediate calls are requested because the Ad Coalition has learned that the sponsors hope to have their bill incorporated in the health care reform measure expected to be offered by Senate leaders as early as next week. Senior staff are currently working to consolidate the Senate HELP and Finance committee bills into a compromise measure. If sponsors are unable to have it incorporated in the leadership bill, they are expected to offer it as a floor amendment when the Health Care Reform Bill is debated by the full Senate. See below for talking points, contacts, more information...
Today The Advertising Coalition sent letters to Senators Franken, Whitehouse and Brown specifying multiple reasons not to allow passage of s1763, the Ad Tax Bill. You can read the letters by clicking the links below. Comments are welcome.
s1763 - Ad Tax Bill s1763_AdTaxBill.pdf
TAC Letter to Senator Franken
AdCoalition_Franken_10.19.09.pdf
TAC Letter to Senator Brown
AdCoalition_Brown_10.19.09.pdf
TAC Letter to Senator Whitehouse
AdCoalition_Whitehouse_10.19.09.pdf
