publications | about us | on campus | jobs | alumni | cmap | straphangers campaign | fuel buyers group

Dodgeball: The Pharmaceutical Companies' Direct Marketing to Doctors and the Impact on Health Care Costs and Patient Safety Prescription For Change: Shopping Smart for Prescription Drugs Patient Safety Page Tobacco Failing to Act: New York State's Department of Health and the Patient Safety Crisis Playground Safety Lead Poisoning Prevention

How you can help fight skyrocketing drug prices

NYPIRG is working with a coalition of senior, civic and consumer organizations to rein in the cost of medications and the drug companies' marketing practices. AARP, the Center for Medical Consumers, Consumers Union, Hunger Action Network of New York State, JPAC for Older Adults, New York State Alliance for Retired Americans and New York StateWide Senior Action Council are working with a growing coalition of groups to advance legislation to lower drug costs and require pharmaceutical companies to report on their marketing practices to doctors.

The first bill allows New York State to better negotiate for lower drug costs and pass those savings onto those who do not have health insurance. The bill also allows employers to benefit from these low prices (S.5029A/A.6336B). The second bill requires drug companies to publicly report their gifts to doctors. This information would be posted on the state's website (S.696E/A.5574E).

Both bills have passed the Assembly with overwhelming bipartisan support. The state Senate has not yet acted, but is expected to return in the Fall to take up legislation. The Rx Affordability campaign is pushing to get the Senate to take up these two issues.

Here's how you can help:

Learn the issues. Fact sheets on the two bills and background information can be accessed here:
Summary of Drug Marketing Reporting Legislation; S.696E/A.5574E
Direct-to-Doctor Marketing of Prescription Drugs
Bulk Purchasing of Prescription Drugs
Summary of Prescription Drug Bulk Purchasing Legislation; S.5029A/A.6336B

If you want to review the bills directly, you can get the text by going to the State Assembly website and typing in the bill numbers.

You can also review recent NYPIRG reports on the issues. You can access our July report on prescription drug prices and our report on drug companies' gifting practices.

Get your organization to support the legislation. Two sample memoranda of support can be accessed (click here and here) . If your organization issues a memoranda, please send a copy to bhorner@nypirg.org as well as to your state Senator. You can also sign onto the Rx Affordability campaign by either faxing or e-mailing the following form.