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Health & Medicine
AARP Massachusetts Urges Legislators to Not Repeal the State's Prescription-Drug Gift Ban
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(101 seconds)
-- How Will You Use This Story? --
(OPEN):
ON THE HEELS OF LAST WEEK'S BIG "BIO CONVENTION" IN
BOSTON, GOVERNOR PATRICK AND SOME LEGISLATORS HAVE CALLED FOR A
REPEAL OF THE STATE'S PRESCRIPTION-DRUG GIFT-BAN--WHICH LIMITS
DRUG-COMPANY MARKETING-PRACTICES. SENATOR MARK MONTIGNY
["MAHN-TIGG-NEE"] SAYS, HOWEVER, THAT THE LAW SHOULD STAND...
(MONTIGNY):
"THE GIFT-BAN IS ONE IMPORTANT TOOL TO HELP DRIVE
DOWN THE SPIRALING COST OF HEALTHCARE FOR CONSUMERS, BUSINESSES, AND
GOVERNMENT. ESPECIALLY WITH PRESCRIPTION-PRICES STILL RISING, NOW
IS NOT THE TIME FOR THE COMMONWEALTH TO TAKE A STEP BACKWARDS ON THIS
ISSUE. ILLICIT MARKETING AND MANIPULATION BY DRUG-COMPANIES--AND
THEIR LOBBYISTS--HAS A SERIOUS, NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE SACRED
DOCTOR/PATIENT-RELATIONSHIP."
(BRIDGE):
PHARMACEUTICAL AND MEDICAL-DEVICE COMPANIES SPEND OVER 20-THOUSAND
DOLLARS, A YEAR--PER DOCTOR--ON MARKETING-EFFORTS. DOCTOR DAVID
KORN ADDS...
(KORN):
"CHOICE-OF-THERAPY
SHOULD ALWAYS REST ON WHAT'S BEST FOR PATIENTS--AND [SHOULD] NEVER [BE]
BIASED BY INDUSTRY-GIFTS, INCLUDING MEALS--WHICH AREN'T REALLY GIFTS AT
ALL. THEY'RE PAID FROM MARKETING-BUDGETS, WITH ONLY ONE PURPOSE:
TO INCREASE SALES OF COMPANY-PRODUCTS."
(BRIDGE):
THE STATE'S GIFT-BAN LAW RESTRICTS DRUG-COMPANIES FROM GIVING FREE
MEALS OUTSIDE OF THE OFFICE-SETTING; TICKETS TO ENTERTAINMENT-EVENTS;
AND OTHER PERKS. A-A-R-P STATE-PRESIDENT, LINDA
FITZGERALD, ADDS...
(FITZGERALD):
"CONSUMERS
SHOULD NOT HAVE TO FOOT THE BILL FOR THE FANCY, FREE LUNCHES THAT
DRUG-COMPANIES GIVE TO DOCTORS. AND, OUR MEMBERS AGREE. IN
THE LAST FEW DAYS ALONE, OVER A THOUSAND HAVE CONTACTED THEIR
LEGISLATORS, TO TELL THEM: PUT CONSUMERS FIRST; PROTECT THE
GIFT-BAN."
(CLOSE):
THE FATE OF THE GIFT-BAN LAW MAY BE DECIDED THIS WEEK [THE WEEK OF JUNE
25TH]--AS THE HOUSE/SENATE CONFERENCE-COMMITTEE ISSUES ITS FINAL
RECOMMENDATION FOR THE "FISCAL YEAR 2013" STATE-BUDGET.
