The Promotional Products Association International is a trade group of very unhappy companies facing a severe downturn in business. These companies provide the promotional products which drug makers use to influence physician prescribing habits.
Tag: Big Pharma
The Use of Ghostwriters by Wyeth is Questioned
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, has repeatedly made the news with his ongoing investigation into drug industry influence on doctors.
What Happened to the Promise to Save This Nation Billions in Healthcare Costs?
One of the biggest clinical trials ever organized by our federal government indicated that generic medication for high blood pressure in use since the 1950s worked better than the newer drugs costing more than twenty times more.
A Flagrant Example of Pushing the Sponsor’s Product
Drugmakers Pay an NPR Talk Show Host/Physician $1.3 Million for Lectures
PRACTICING MEDICINE WITHOUT A LICENSE
Group of unions accuses CVS Caremark Corp of violating patient privacy and pushing doctors to prescribe costly drug
Wyeth at the Supreme Court, Justices Weigh a 100-Year-Old Right Enjoyed by Americans
The Supreme Court will hear the case of Wyeth v. Levine the week of November 3. The case involves Diana Levine, a guitarist and musician, who lost her arm (and her livelihood) due to gangrene from an improperly administered nausea drug made by Wyeth. She was awarded $6.7 million in damages in a Vermont court,… Continue reading Wyeth at the Supreme Court, Justices Weigh a 100-Year-Old Right Enjoyed by Americans
Statin Drugs—Are They Worth the Money?
Prescription drug spending has increased sharply in recent years and continues to be the fastest growing segment of healthcare spending. Americans spent $40.3 billion for prescription drugs in 1990; by 2006 that figure had risen to a staggering $216.7 billion.
U.S. vs Europe — Who Offers Children Better Health Care?
“America has the best healthcare in the world.” But is that true, or just more political jargon? Certainly Americans spend more than any other industrialized country on healthcare. But America falls short in how long we live—or how well.
Under the Influence — Doctors and Prescription Drug Firms
Today’s news, both political and financial, is filled with tales of greed and corruption. Vested interests ensure that earmarks litter important legislation. The lust for a quick profit and lax regulation have led to bank closures. Wall Street and Capitol Hill are now awash in finger-pointing by consumers whose investments are worth a fraction of… Continue reading Under the Influence — Doctors and Prescription Drug Firms
Natural Substance Knock Offs in the FDA Pipeline Could be Dangerous
Some of the natural substances taken through the FDA approval process don’t appear to be dangerous. For example, Omacor, the FDA approved fish oil, is only a problem because it is so expensive compared to regular fish oil. All of us who pay Medicare taxes are bearing this cost since Medicare won’t reimburse any other… Continue reading Natural Substance Knock Offs in the FDA Pipeline Could be Dangerous