Senator Judd Gregg today strongly defended the pharmaceutical industry as lawmakers move to rein in prescription drug costs.
The issue: allowing states to use their buying power to bring down drug prices.
From Washington, NHPR correspondent Don Rush has this report.
IT WAS, PERHAPS, THE MOST VIGOROUS DEFENSE OF THE DRUG INDUSTRY HEARD ON THE SENATE FLOOR.
SENATOR JUDD GREGG LASHED OUT AT CRITICS
OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY?AS THE
SENATE CONSIDERS MEASURES?TO BRING DOWN
PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES.
THE NEW HAMPSHIRE REPUBLICAN BRISTLED?
AT THE DEMONIZING OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL
INDUSTRY:
SOUND: ?Well, essentially what we?re doing here is another example of saying, well the big bad greedy drug companies they can take the hit. No matter what, they can take the hit. We?ve seen it happening out on the floor. We?ve heard it in the arguments from the other side. Well, we can just do this because the big bad drug companies will just have to take the hit.?
BY A VOTE OF 56 TO 43?THE SENATE APPROVED
AN AMENDMENT?THAT WOULD GIVE STATES?
GREATER FLEXIBILITY?IN LOWERING PRESCRIPTION
DRUG PRICES.
THE STATE?S WOULD BE ABLE?TO EXTEND
MEDICAID PRESCRIPTION DRUG DISCOUNTS ...TO
THE UNINSURED?WHO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR
MEDICAID BENEFITS.
MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT DEBBIE STABENOW?
AUTHOR OF THE AMENDMENT ARGUED:
SOUND: ?And the majority of those those using prescriptions who are uninsured are our senior citizens.
The seniors and the disabled of this country. And how unfair that we think they too should get a discount. This amendment only affects those who are uninsured. Why?
Because everybody else gets a discount.?
WITH PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES RISING BY
AS MUCH AS 17 PERCENT A YEAR?SOME 30 STATES
HAVE ENACTED LAWS FOR THE INSURED.
BUT THESE EFFORTS HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED
BY THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY?WITH A CASE
ARISING FROM THE STATE OF MAINE?TO BE HEARD
BY THE U-S SUPREME COURT.
NEW HAMSPHIRE HAS PURSED A PURCHASING
CO-OPERATIVE WITH OTHER STATES?TO BRING
DOWN THE COST OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
WHILE ADMITTING THE MEASURE WAS
HARDLY THE MOST EGREGIOUS MEASURE?GREGG
ARGUED?IT WAS PART OF A TREND THAT COULD
HARM THE PARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY IN PROVIDING
NEEDED DRUGS.
THE NEW HAMPSHIRE REPUBLICAN SAID?IT
CAN TAKE OVER A DECADE TO DEVELOP A NEW
DRUG?AT A COST OF UPWARDS OF 800-MILLION
DOLLARS.
SOUND: ?Now I realize it?s great politics to come to the floor of the senate, and claim that, if we do this, we?ll be helping the poor, we will be helping the indigent people who need help. That?s great politics, but if you?re not producing the drugs, you?re not helping anybody. Because the people who produce the drug can?t get the money to make it, because they can?t go the capital markets and get a decent return, then you?re not helping anybody. And it?s a fraud.?
BUT?A NEW STUDY BY FAMILIES USA FOUND?
THAT TOP DRUG COMPANIES SPENT MORE ON
MARKETING?ADVERTISING AND ADMINISTRATION
THAN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ? BY A MARGIN
OF TWO TO ONE.
CITING THE NEW STUDY?STABENOW CHARGED:
SOUND: ?The pharmaceutical industry is more about being a sales machine?sales and marketing?quarterly reports and profits than about creating new life-saving drugs.?
BUT SENATOR GREGG SAW THE ISSUE?AS
LARGER?THAN THE U-S MARKET.
THE SENATE HAS ALREADY VOTED TO
APPROVED THE RE-IMPORTATION OF PRESCRIPTION
DRUGS FROM CANADA.
AND?THE NEW HAMPSHIRE SENATOR LASHED
AT THE UNFAIRNESS OF THE INTERNATIONAL
EFFORTS TO REIN IN?THE PHARMACEUTICAL
INDUSTRY:
SOUND: ?Are those companies evil?greedy, because they want to bring to the market place something that is going to improve the life extend and improve the life of Americans, and well yes, will be sold in Canada because Canada take advantage of all of our research in a very mercenary way as does the rest of the world. No. They want to produce a product to improve the quality of life for Americans.?
FINALLY?THE CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE
POLITICS REPORTS?THAT GREGG RECEIVED
OVER 92-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN CAMPAIGN
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE PHARMACEUTICAL
AND HEALTH PRODCUTS INDUSTRY.
FOR NHPR NEWS
THIS IS DON RUSH
IN WASHINGTON
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