Healthy Skepticism Library item: 15031

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Wilson A.
Bill keeps medication records private
The Olympian 2009 Feb 4
http://www.theolympian.com/legislature/story/747688.html

Full text:

Legislators considered a bill Tuesday that would ban drug companies from buying people’s prescription records and using them for marketing purposes.

“Patients rightfully assume that their prescriptions are private. They are given their prescription in a private room, and when they go to the pharmacy to fill it, others are required to wait several feet away,” Dr. Rupin Thakkar said. “As soon as the patient walks away, their prescription information can be sold.”

Drug makers can buy lists of prescriptions and use the information to contact selected patients, encouraging them to refill prescriptions or move to a newer drug.

Joana Ramos told members of the House Health Care Committee that drug marketers contacted her shortly after she moved from a $70-a-month name-brand asthma drug to a $5-a-month generic drug.

The letters asked her to switch to a new version of the drug, for which there was no generic equivalent, she said. But her doctor advised against it.

“We need to keep our prescriptions private,” said Ramos, who testified on behalf of the Washington Coalition for Prescribing Integrity.

Several drug companies and associations oppose the bill, including the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

Cliff Webster, representing the manufacturers, said the bill unfairly singles out name-brand products but appears to allow marketers to call patients and suggest generics or other services.

Calling patients and reminding them to refill their prescriptions is an important part of maintaining a treatment plan, opponents also said.

Rep. Bill Hinkle, a Cle Elum Republican who scoffed at last year’s proposal to shield doctors from similar marketing, supports the patient-oriented marketing ban.

“I’m great with my pharmacist calling me – multiple times, if they need to, because I’m kind of thick,” Hinkle told Webster. “But I don’t want your company calling me.”

A coalition of health care associations, advocacy groups and unions were unsuccessful last year when they pushed to end marketing strategies directed at doctors. This year, they centered their efforts the use of people’s personal histories.

“This is something much more simple, and much more nefarious,” said Rep. Jamie Pederson, D-Seattle, who is sponsoring this year’s bill, House Bill 1493.