Big Pharma's Health Care Reform Playbook
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
"Congress' ability to curb the explosive rise in drug costs is a bellwether of the political prospects for health care reform," writes Merrill Goozner.
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Health
No-Bid PR Contract Bugs California Officials
Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
"State officials struggling to convince critics about the safety of aerial spraying to control an invasive moth awarded a $500,000 no-bid contract to a prominent public relations firm with ties to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger," reports Associated Press.
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When "Biased" Means "Not Friendly to Industry"
Submitted by Judith Siers-Poisson on
The Environmental Protection Agency has dismissed a top scientist from her position as chair of a panel investigating a toxic material in electronics.
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Anti-Taxation with Tobacco Representation
Submitted by Anne Landman on
R.J. Reynolds (RJR) may be funding a South Carolina anti-tax group to oppose a cigarette tax for health care. The Cover Carolina Collaborative, a group of health care organizations, is proposing that the state's tax be raised to $1.00 a pack, to help cover uninsured employees. South Carolina currently has the lowest cigarette tax in the nation, at seven cents a pack.
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Philip Morris Snuffs Out Controversial Research Program
Submitted by Anne Landman on
Philip Morris has quietly disbanded its controversial External Research Program (PMERP), through which it funded academic and scientific research at major universities. The funds doled out by the program were substantial: in the 2006-07 fiscal year, the University of California system alone received around $16 million through PMERP.
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Medical Disclosure Riles Professor
Submitted by Bob Burton on
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The Invisible Hands Guiding Doctors' Continuing Education
Submitted by Bob Burton on
Ray Moynihan reveals that while educational events have been advertised to Australian medical practitioners as being independent, behind the scenes sponsoring drug companies were being offered the chance to nominate speakers and topics relating to their drugs.
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Great Lakes Study Suppressed
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
"For more than seven months, the nation's top public health agency has blocked the publication of an exhaustive federal study of environmental hazards in the eight Great Lakes states, reportedly because it contains such potentially 'alarming information' as evidence of elevated infant mortality and cancer rates," reports Sheila Kaplan.
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Beyond Advertising: The Pharmaceutical Industry's Hidden Marketing Tactics
In early January, the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce began investigating celebrity endorsements in television ads for brand-name drugs. The investigation was sparked by Pfizer's commercials for its best-selling cholesterol drug Lipitor. These direct-to-consumer (DTC) ads feature Dr. Robert Jarvik, a pioneer in the development of the artificial heart. Viewers are not told that Jarvik is not a cardiologist, nor is he licensed to practice medicine. His presentation as a trusted expert, Pfizer presumably hopes, is enough to persuade viewers to ask their doctors for Lipitor by name. And that would help erode the increasing competition from generic alternatives.
Taking a Stand for Their Communities' Health
Submitted by Judith Siers-Poisson on
Low-income California communities concerned with environmental justice have launched a 21-point "Environmental Justice Movement Declaration." Their position is a challenge to the policies of Gov.
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