Pharmaceutical Industry Shifts Focus Of Lobbying Efforts To State Level

Main Category: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 30 Aug 2007 - 14:00 PDT

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Lobbyists for the pharmaceutical industry increasingly are targeting state lawmakers as "drug makers find themselves on the defensive, facing tighter regulations and restrictions in many states," the Newark Star-Ledger reports. Lawmakers in various states -- who "maintain they are acting to fill a vacuum left by Congress" -- have debated legislation that would reduce prescription drug prices; require drug makers to disclose spending on marketing, including gifts and payments to physicians; and restrict the commercial use of physician prescription data, according to the Star-Ledger.

Other legislation introduced by state lawmakers would regulate drug industry sales representatives, require publication of all clinical trial data about drug safety and efficacy, and restrict advertising on electronic prescribing software used by physicians and pharmacists. West Virginia Delegate Don Perdue (D), chair of the state House of Delegates Health and Human Resources Committee, said, "Change has to happen in the states because nothing meaningful is happening at the federal level, where the drug lobby is too strong."

However, Jan Faiks, vice president of government affairs and law for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said that many state bills meant to regulate the drug industry are "unnecessary" and based on "misleading arguments." Faiks said that sponsors of the bills often are critics of the health care system in general and do not recognize that prescription drug spending accounts for just 10% of total health care costs (Cohen, Newark Star-Ledger, 8/26).

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