Protecting Patients

Affordable Medicines

A handful of prescription drug companies control the majority of patents on new drugs and charge prices far in excess of the cost of producing the medications. The newest cancer fighting drugs are priced beyond the reach of many patients who need them.

Consumer Watchdog research has found that most prescription drugs are developed in large part with taxpayer funds. Uninsured and insured patients, business owners and government programs all benefit from prescription drug bulk purchasing in the form of better discounts and rebates.

Read about Consumer Watchdog's efforts to build support for a U.S. bulk-purchasing program.

Recent Articles:

Bill Aims to Open Medical Records

By Dan Abendschein, WHITTIER DAILY NEWS (California)
March 16, 2008

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Consumer Group Welcomes Introduction of Stem Cell Agency Oversight Bill

By John M. Simpson, 310-392-1902 (cell)
February 22, 2008

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Recent Posts in Protecting Patients:

Before 'Big Oil U' Was 'Big Pharma U'

Consumer Watchdog has protested strings-attached grants from Big Oil to universities, but the oil companies are just following the path of Big Pharma. Here, from the Century Foundation's Maggie Mahar and Niko Karvounis, is a concise history of legislation that opened the classroom door to drug companies--and even let cosmetic giant Shiseido control research agendas at Harvard's Massachusetts General Hospital.  

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Rules, But No Cops

When the federal government passes a law but has no cops to enforce it, the crooks hold a "get out of jail free" card. That's the unfortunate effect of a sweeping and successful effort by drug and insurance companies to have federal law "preempt" state enforcement. A spate of stories today (LA Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Times) on new federal rules against insurance company abuses of Medicare recipients drives home the point.

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One board member gets it

"All Californians are paying for Prop 71," said Dr. Claire Pomeroy, "so all should benefit from it."

Dr. Pomeroy is the Dean of the UC Davis Medical school and has a seat on the 29-member stem cell agency board of...

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Stem cell agency's conflicted board

One of the the problems with the California stem cell agency's board is that it is fraught with conflicts of interest. It was, in fact, designed that way in Proposition 71 which voters...

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San Francisco patient privacy compromised by fundraiser

Here's a perfect example of why a non-medical company with no relationship to the patient should never be allowed access to patient information without permission first - as a ...

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