Wednesday, April 07, 2004

Drug makers lobby, state does U-turn (North Carolina)
April 4 Raleigh News Observer story - "Carmen Hooker Odom, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, announced two years ago that she would restrict the rise in Medicaid costs by making it more difficult for doctors to prescribe some expensive drugs. It never happened. Key lawmakers quietly cut a deal with pharmaceutical companies to block Hooker Odom's plan, four current or former legislative leaders say. In exchange, the companies made donations -- totaling $6.1 million in cash and pledges so far -- to a little-known foundation within Hooker Odom's department. Since then, the cost of Medicaid drugs in North Carolina has continued to climb -- and taxpayers have continued to pay more to support the program. This fiscal year, it's expected to go up another 21.7 percent, to an estimated $1.5 billion..."  
  

FDA Sat on Report Linking Suicide, Drugs
LA Times story - "Ten months ago, when concerns arose about a possible link between children taking antidepressant drugs and suicide attempts, senior officials at the Food and Drug Administration ordered their leading expert to head up an examination of the evidence. When the government scientist filed his report last winter, however, his bosses decided to keep it secret — even though it found that children who took the drugs were twice as likely to be involved in serious suicide-related behavior as those who did not..." [Viewing Los Angeles Times stories requires registration, which is free].