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NLARx News
March 12, 2008
In This Issue
In the States
Outrage of the Week
Prices & Health Costs
Fraud & Abuse
Advertising & Marketing
Confidentiality
Pharma Watch
PBM Watch
Medicare
Medicaid
Goings on in Congress
Safety & Clinical Trials
Generics & Patents
Importation
Editorials
Quick Links
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Spring NLARx Meeting in Charleston,
West Virginia
Join us May 9th in West Virginia's state capital to catch up on the latest action on prescription drug issues in state legislatures and the courts, and to learn about emerging trends and policies.  Registration, agenda and travel details in future newsletters and on the web.
In the States
WASHINGTON: Datamining Bill Defeated in House in Squeaker More
MASSACHUSETTS: State Senate President Includes Gift Ban in Cost/Quality Bill More
MINNESOTA: Committee on Health Housing & Family Security Holds Hearings Friday on PBMs, Datamining
CONNECTICUT: Bill Curbing Drug Makers' Gifts to Docs Stalls More
MAINE: State Appeals Ruling Striking Data Law To First Circuit, Lower Court Amends Ruling More
NEW HAMPSHIRE: House Passes Legislation on Academic Detailing and Patient Co-Payments More
NEW JERSEY: Legislators Seek Informed Consent for Psychotropics More
TEXAS: Legislators Hear About PBM Costs Due to Lack of Transparency More
ALASKA: Lilly Faces Initial Zyprexa Trial More
MISSOURI: House Passes Bill on Drug Data More
STATES PREEMPTED... High Court Overrules More State Laws on Preemption Grounds More
...OR NOT? Split Supreme Court Allows Suits to Proceed Against Drugmakers Under Michigan Law More
Outrage of the Week
Four Medical Device Companies Made $800M in Illegitimate Payments to Physicians, Official Says More
Prices & Health Care Costs
AARP Finds Prices of Brand Name Drugs Up 7.4% More
4 in 10 Americans Say They Have Trouble Paying for Drugs, Skip Prescriptions, or Cut Pills Due to Cost More
The High Cost of a Cancer Drug More
Fraud & Abuse
Physicians Can Become Entangled in DME Fraud More
AstraZeneca Will Appeal $215 Million Verdict in Alabama Medicaid Pricing Case More
Eleven Defendants Settle in AWP Litigation More
NY AG Issues New Subpoenas to Health Insurers in Fraud Investigation More
Former Wyeth Employees File False Claims Suit More
States Announce $5.9 Million Settlement With Drug Company Over Contraceptive More
Advertising & Marketing
State fights back against prescription drug sales More
As Drug Ads Surge, More Get Rx's Filled More
Insurers Propose Banning Certain Medicare Advantage Plan Marketing Tactics More
Those Marketing Dollars Get Spent Very Early More
Insurers Propose Banning Certain Medicare Advantage Plan Marketing Tactics More
Confidentiality
Privacy Concerns About Personal Health Records Increase, as Interest in PHRs Grows More
Google To Announce Web Site To Allow Storage of Personal Health Records Online More
Officials Say E-Prescribing Technology Bill Likely Will Pass This Year; Health IT Privacy Concerns More
E-Health Activities Across the Nation More
Technologies for Restoring Users' Security and Trust in Health Information Act More
Pharma Watch
Biologics Build Lobbying Army for '09 More
Pharma looks for a candidate More
Democrats Ready for Revenge on Drug Companies More
Antiretrovirals More Profitable for Drug Industry More
Pfizer Wants the New England Journal of Medicine to Turn Over Confidential Peer Reviews More
PBM Watch
Caremark Agrees to Pay States $38.5 Million for Deceptive Business Practices More
Medco Health Solutions Reported 2007 Revenues of More Than $11 Billion More
Medicare
Medicare Goes After Billing Errors, Collects $357M More
GAO: Costs of Private Medicare Advantage Plans Higher Than Traditional Medicare for Some More
NY Times Comparison of Clinton and Obama Plans for Medicare and Medicaid More
Medicaid
Medicaid Rule Changes May Cost States $50 Billion Over Five Years More
Hospitals File Lawsuit Over Medicaid More
CQ HealthBeat Examines New Medicaid Rules More
Lilly Balks At Higher Rebates In Mental Health Bill More
Dem Governors Want Congress To Block Bush Rules Limiting SCHIP Expansions More
More Goings on in Congress
Senate Committee Hearings Today on Drug Industry Detailing & Alternative Doctor Education on Drugs More
Republican Lawmakers Join Push for More Regulation of Medicare Advantage Plan Marketing More
Roll Call Examines Prospects for Health Care Legislation This Year in Congress More
Schumer Plan Would Inspect Foreign Drugs More
Dem Governors Want Congress To Block Bush Rules That Limit States Expansion of SCHIP More
Safety & Clinical Trials
Patients' Ability to Sue At Risk More
Drug Trial Oversight Needs U.S. Probe More
FDA: Amgen, J&J Anemia Drugs Tied to Deaths More
CEPR: Publicly Funded Drug Trials Will Counteract the Corruption and Inefficiency of Testing More
U.K. to Tighten Pharma Rules More
Doctors 'Repeatedly or Deliberately' Break FDA Drug Trial Rules More
FDA Needs More Inspectors, Updated Databases, According to FDA Official More
Medicine Mismanagement Among Elderly More
Drug Giants Warned: Tell Truth on Medicines More
FDA to Increase Warnings on Side Effects More
AP Probe Finds Drugs in Drinking Water More
HEPARIN SCANDAL:
Baxter Recalls Heparin Products More  3 More Companies Recall Heparin as Precaution More  FDA Says Drug Tied to China Had Contaminant More  Belated FDA Inspection Report on Heparin Plant More
Generics & Patent Policy
Generics Damp 2007 Drug Costs: Express Scripts More
Its Hard to Beat Generics More
$4 generics often loss leaders for big retailers More
Few Sickle Cell Patients Using Generic Treatment To Relieve Pain, NIH Panel Says More
Importation
U.S. Election Raises Canadian Drug Supply iIssue More
Editorials
The High Cost of a Cancer Drug More
Fixing the FDA More
The Proxy War - SCHIP and the Government's Role in Health Care Reform More