Year’s Top Consumer Bill Fails in Assembly Committee
December 21st, 2007 Posted by: Dr. Cox
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.
“From Vioxx to Paxil, the pharmaceutical industry has failed to tell whole truth about the potential side effects of drugs on the market. These tragedies make it clear that we can’t rely on the drug companies to disclosure this information.
“On behalf of the millions of Californians affected by this issue, CALPIRG extends thanks to Assemblymembers Negrete McLeod, Bass, Koretz, Nation and Saldaa for their vote in support of the public interest. While we are extremely disappointed in today’s outcome, we hold out hope that members of the legislature will find another way to address this critical issue this session.
“The Pharmaceutical Drug Safety and Information Act, SB 163, failed to pass the Assembly Business and Professions Committee on a 5-4-1 vote. Assemblymembers voting for the measure included Negrete McLeod, Bass, Koretz, Nation and Saldaa. Assemblymembers voting against the measure included Shirley Horton, Maze, Tran and Yee. Assemblymember Vargas was present for the vote but abstained.”
CALPIRG is a statewide non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organization.