 PharmedOut Conference
June 14-15, Georgetown University
Missing The Target: When Practitioners Harm More Than Heal
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PharmedOut, a Georgetown University-based research project, will host its third annual conference focusing on the misinformation and patient harm that can occur from pharmaceutical and medical device marketing. Speakers include:
* Rita Redberg, M.D., M.Sc., Archives of Internal Medicine editor-in-chief; UC San Francisco
* Carl Elliott, M.D. Ph.D., author of White Coat, Black Hat; Univ. of Minnesota Center for Bioethics
* Kay Dickersin, Ph.D., director of the Center for Clinical Trials,Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health
* Susan Wood, Ph.D., George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services
* Julie Taitsman, M.D., J.D., chief medical officer, Office of the Inspector General, U.S. DHHS
* Sharon Treat, J.D., NLARx executive director
* Jack Mitchell, chief of investigations, U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging
For more information and to register for the conference, please visit the PharmedOut website.
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From the Director
This has been a busy month. As detailed below, we are working on many fronts to reduce drug prices and increase access-- in state legislatures, before federal agencies, in the courts, and even in international trade negotiations.
Conferences this summer. We expect to be busy this summer- catch us at two events, the PharmedOut conference June 14-15 in Washington D.C. and our own NLARx meeting July 13 in Burlington Vermont. Read more
In the courts. On the legal front, NLARx joined other consumer groups and the American Antitrust Institute in an amicus brief in a federal case with far-reaching implications for consumers. The case deals with the question of whether consumers can sue for damages for wrongful enforcement of a fraudulently procured patent which led to inflated prices for consumers.
At the trade negotiating table. Patent policy is also front-and-center in trade negotiations over the TransPacific Partnership, or TPP. Negotiations in this multi-country free trade agreement continued in Dallas earlier this month and will resume in San Diego in July. NLARx shares the concerns of international health groups and legal scholars that the intellectual property and so-called transparency provisions of this agreement could keep drug prices high, delay the introduction of generics, and hamstring state Medicaid directors' implementation of preferred drug lists and rebates. Tough anti-counterfeiting laws, which can be important in protecting public health, can also be used to limit access to generics, which is a concern.
Read more about trade and drug prices
Paying the piper with Medicaid cuts. Many state legislatures are winding down or have already finished up for the year. Budget-cutting was an unfortunate focus this year with several states cutting prescription drug coverage in Medicaid and for seniors.
Other hot issues. A not-unrelated issue is the high cost of specialty drugs, and legislation to limit out-of-pocket costs for these drugs was on the to-do list of many legislatures. Read this research brief about this problem. Stronger PBM audit rules were enacted in Kentucky, Vermont and in Alabama. Big Pharma appears to have gotten its way, however, in Massachusetts, with both House and Senate passing budget amendments repealing the anti-coupon law in that state.
 
For regular news updates, the best way to stay current is to "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (where we tweet with the handle @nlarx nearly daily). Keep in touch! Sincerely, Sharon Treat
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States Cut Prescription Drug Coverage
An unfortunate consequence of the recession and reduced revenues have been significant cuts to state prescription drug assistance programs and Medicaid coverage including for prescription drugs.
In Texas, 500,000 free vaccines for kids won't be provided anymore. Legislators in Maine enacted a budget cutting health care entirely for 20,000 young adults aged 19-20 and eliminated 1,500 seniors from prescription drug assistance. The budgets passed by both the House and Senate in Illinois would eliminate the elderly prescription drug assistance program serving 180,000 people to save $72.2 million. Cuts of $36 million to New York's EPIC program (Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage) went into effect in January.
This recent report from the Community Access National Network outlines Medicaid cuts proposed or enacted in many of the 50 states, including pharmaceutical cuts. The report lists the following states as having numerical limits on the number of prescriptions (some with monthly caps) that may be purchased through Medicaid: Alabama, Arkansas, California (proposed), Georgia, Illinois (proposed), Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia. See also this report from the Kaiser Family Foundation on planned mid-year cuts to Medicaid in 10 states.
In a "double overtime" special session, Washington state avoided cuts to pharmacy despite early proposals that would have made significant cuts.
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 Register Today!
NLARx Meeting Burlington, Vermont
July 13, 2012
3 - 6 pm
We've planned a timely series of presentations on issues facing state legislators. Registration is only $25 for legislators and legislative staff, so plan now to join us in July!
PARTIAL DRAFT AGENDA
- IMS v Sorrell - Where do we go from here? New Hampshire's pioneering work on prescriber privacy continues in spite of a setback to its datamining law in the U.S. Supreme Court. Is there a way forward that balances First Amendment protections with patient and prescriber privacy and public health concerns? Speakers: BU Law Prof Kevin Outterson & NH Rep. Cindy Rosenwald
- Vaccination policy - This year, the Vermont Legislature tackled the difficult issue of parental opt-outs. Balancing public health and parental involvement presents challenges for all states. Speaker (invited): VT Senator Kevin Mullin
- Trade policy and drug prices - Will the Trans-Pacific Partnership prevent states and the federal government from negotiating drug prices? What's the latest news about the TPP and Big Pharma's strategy to keep prices high? Speaker: NLARx Executive Director Sharon Treat
MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION
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Join NLARx on Facebook and Twitter!
For up-to-the-minute posting of news of interest and events, become a fan of NLARx on Facebook here and follow us on twitter here. |
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