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While California Moves Forward, Bush Pushes Back on Health Care
Statement of CALPIRG Health Care Advocate Emily Clayton on President Bush’s planned health care proposals for the State of the Union

“Just as California and other states are preparing to take big steps forward on the path to better regulating the health insurance industry and expanding health care coverage, President Bush is set to propose some giant steps back in his State of the Union address tonight.

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Senate to follow

The House today passed significant reforms to the Food and Drug Administration’s drug safety review system. Part of a comprehensive FDA bill, the bill was a compromise between Senate and House legislation that passed overwhelmingly earlier this year. The bill, which includes strong consumer protections, will be voted on in the Senate tomorrow.

Statement by CALPIRG’s Federal Health Care Advocate Paul Brown:

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Statement by Pedro Morillas, CALPIRG Legislative Advocate:

“We applaud the Senate for passing AB 8 (Nez) this afternoon.

“Regulating the insurance companies must be part of any meaningful health care reform. CALPIRG supports AB 8, in large part because the bill grants Californians access to more affordable health insurance.

“AB 8 sharply limits the insurance companies’ ability to deny consumers health care coverage, which far to many Californians experience when shopping for coverage today. AB 8 requires insurance companies to use community rating to determine their premium costs, so that individuals are guaranteed a fair price for health insurance. AB 8 also requires insurance companies to spend 85 percent of premium dollars on health care, assuring consumers that their monthly premiums are working to keep us healthy.

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New Study Analyzes FDA Actions Against Manufacturers For Deceptive Marketing Of Vioxx, Paxil, 150 Other Drugs

SAN FRANCISCO—Over the last five years, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent prescription drug companies 170 enforcement letters criticizing false or misleading advertising that omitted or minimized risks, promoted unproven uses, and made other deceptive claims to doctors and consumers about 150 different drugs including Vioxx, Paxil, Oxycontin and Accutane, according to a new report released today by the CALPIRG Education Fund.

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Doctors and patients will still not have important information on side effects of medicine

Statement of Emily Clayton, CALPIRG Health Care Advocate, on today’s Assembly Business and Professions Committee vote on SB 163 (Scott), the Pharmaceutical Drug Safety and Information Act:

“Despite widespread support from consumer, senior, health and labor organizations, the Assembly Business & Professions Committee today failed to pass the year’s most important piece of consumer legislation. With today’s vote, California’s patients and doctors are further from getting the truth about the safety of their medicines. Senator Scott’s legislation would have, for the first time, required drug companies to release the results of all the health studies for their medicines.

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SACRAMENTO—In the wake of ongoing disclosures about pharmaceutical companies’ suppression of negative clinical trial results, a Pacifica father joined labor, senior, health, and consumer groups on the steps of the Capitol to call on members of the state Assembly to pass legislation that could prevent another tragedy like the one suffered by his family.

James Torlakson’s daughter committed suicide in 2004 while taking Celexa, an anti-depressant whose side-effects were downplayed by its manufacturer. The makers of Celexa and other antidepressants like it have come under increasing scrutiny for their failure to warn doctors and patients about negative studies involving the drugs’ use in adolescents.

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Uninsured Sacramento Residents Pay 68 Percent More than the Federal Government

SACRAMENTO—Uninsured consumers in Sacramento pay 68 percent more for common prescription drugs than the federal government does for the same medications, according to, “Paying the Price: The High Cost of Prescription Drugs for Uninsured Californians” a new California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) Education Fund report released today.

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SACRAMENTO—Members of the OURx Bill of Rights Coalition gathered in the state Capitol this morning to applaud Governor Schwarzenegger’s signature of AB 2911 (Nez/Perata), the California Discount Prescription Drug Program. The coalition, comprised of more than a dozen groups representing consumers, the AIDS community, seniors and communities of color, sponsored the bill in the legislature this year.

“This effort began more than 4 years ago with a small group of OURx members and has blossomed into real reform for millions of Californians,” said Michael Weinstein, President of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) is calling for global cooperation, political commitment and creative solutions to counter what it describes as the silent epidemic of counterfeit medicines. At an international conference in Rome the body is aiming to put together a global task force to focus on legislation, law enforcement and innovative technology solutions. Dr Howard Zucker, WHO assistant director general for health technology and pharmaceuticals, said: “People don’t die from carrying a fake handbag or wearing a fake t-shirt. They can die from taking a counterfeit medicine.
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CALPIRG and Senator Scott introduce the Pharmaceutical Drug Right-to-Know Act

SACRAMENTO—Responding to public outcry over recent prescription drug scandals, CALPIRG and Senator Jack Scott (D-Altadena) have introduced legislation in Sacramento to make sure that drug companies finally come clean about the safety of the medicines. The bill, SB 1683, requires drug companies to publicly disclose the results of all their clinical trials for each drug they sell in California.

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