Pharma spends multi-millions to lobby state legislatures
The pharmaceutical industry is spending tens of millions of dollarson lobbying, campaign donations and gifts to try to persuade stateofficials not to pass laws that would cut into drug profits, accordingto a report to be made public today by the nonpartisan Center forPublic Integrity.
The industry spent more than $44 millionlobbying state governments in 2003 and
2004, according to the center,which reviewed state disclosure reports filed by drug companies andtrade associations.
Theindustry also contributed more than $8 million to state politicalcandidates and groups and picked up the tab for meals, golf tournamentsand baseball games for some public officials.
The reason for allthe attention, according to the center, is state initiatives that wouldreduce the cost of drugs and cost the industry perhaps billions ofdollars in profits. A spokesman for the industry’s largest tradeassociation said drug companies are educating state officials on theunintended consequences of ill-advised proposals.
“Statelegislatures have considered punitive measures that could have damagedphysician-patient relationships and jeopardized the future developmentof potentially life-saving and life-enhancing medicines,” said KenJohnson, a senior vice president for the Pharmaceutical Research andManufacturers of America, or PhRMA.