# NON IBS-One Reason I Support Public Citizen!



## vikee (Feb 5, 2000)

I need to present one reason I support Public Citizen as an Organization. I do Not agree with its position on Lotronex and Zelnorm and other drugs as I have repeatedly stated. I feel the positive the Organization does out weights the negatives. I still see it as serving the consumer's best interests.I quote an article from this site:> http://www.insure.com/health/druglobby701.html >Drugmakers spent a record $262 million to halt Medicare drug benefit>By Vicki Lankargeinsure.com >Fearful that a drug benefit would lead to discounted prices in the lucrative senior citizen market, the pharmaceutical industry spent a record $262 million during the 1999-2000 election year cycle to stop Congress from enacting a Medicare drug benefit, a new consumer report claims.---------------------------------------------The United States drug industry spent $177 million on lobbying, $65 million on "issue" ads, and $20 million on campaign contributions in 1999-2000.---------------------------------------------According to Public Citizen, the United States drug industry spent $177 million on lobbying, $65 million on "issue" ads, and $20 million on campaign contributions in 1999-2000 ï¿½ more than any other industry ï¿½ in its effort to stop lawmakers from passing prescription drug legislation.>"The drug industry is one of the more hypocritical industries around," says Frank Clemente, director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch. "It claims to be working for consumers when in fact it uses profits from sales to buy access to lawmakers and defeat pro-consumer prescription drug legislation.">The Public Citizen report comes on the heels of a Families USA study that concludes that hefty profits and enormous executive compensation packages at pharmaceutical companies are to blame for soaring drug prices, not the costs associated with the research and development of new drugs.The Public Citizen report also accuses the pharmaceutical industry of exaggerating the amount it spends on research and development for prescription drugs in order to justify high drug prices. >Based on a review of government and industry data, and a report obtained through the Freedom of Information Act from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the consumer group says the actual after-tax cash outlay for each new prescription drug is approximately $110 million vs. the $500 million figure commonly used by the pharmaceutical industry. The drugmakers base their figures on a study conducted by Tufts University economist Joseph A. DiMasi.>According to Christopher Molineaux, vice president of public affairs for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), DiMasi's figures are actually "quite conservative" and that "Lehman Healthcare estimates that drugs beginning development in 1995 will have average development costs of $675 million.">Peddling influence>Public Citizen's report (The Other Drug War: Big Pharma's 625 Washington Lobbyists) also focuses on Citizens for Better Medicare (CBM), a group that spent an estimated $65 million on "issue" ads during the election. According to the report, these "thinly disguised" issue ads supported Republican candidates while attacking Democratic candidates. Public Citizen says what few consumers realize is that CBM was created, funded, and staffed by the pharmaceutical industry. It also cites a study by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania that found: "ï¿½Citizens for Better Medicareï¿½ is not a grass-roots-generated group of citizens but an arm of the PhRMA.'"---------------------------------------------"The drug industry is stealing from us twice."---------------------------------------------CBM was very prominent during the 2000 election. According to Public Citizen, in the eight months leading up to election day, CBM ran 27 percent of all issue ads broadcast in the country by non-party groups, the most of any independent non-party group. The AFL-CIO was second with 15 percent of all issue ads.>Among the report's other key findings:* The drug industry hired 625 lobbyists last year, more than one lobbyist for every member of Congress. The one-year bill for the lobbyists was $92 million, a $7.2 million increase over what the industry spent for lobbyists in 1999.*	Of the 625 lobbyists employed in 2000, more than half were either former members of Congress (21), or worked in Congress or other federal agencies (296).*	The top recipients of drug industry "hard money" in the last election were Republicans: Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah ($278,024), who was the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, which oversees drug patent laws; President George W. Bush ($267,633); and Rep. Bill Thomas of California ($109,000), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Medicare program.>*	The pharmaceutical industry gave $625,000 to the Bush-Cheney inaugural committee.*	U.S. taxpayer-funded scientists conducted at least 55 percent of the research projects that led to the discovery and development of the five top-selling drugs in 1995.*	22 percent of the new drugs brought to market in the past two decades were innovative drugs that represented important therapeutic advances, while the rest were "copycat" drugs that "have little or no therapeutic gain over existing drugs.">"The drug industry is stealing from us twice," says Clemente of his group's findings. "First it claims that it needs huge profits to develop new drugs, even while drug companies get hefty taxpayer subsidies. Second, the companies gouge taxpayers while spending millions from their profits to buy access to lawmakers.">Last updated July 24, 2001 ï¿½ ------------------Take care, Forever Vikee


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## w_bgal (May 13, 2001)

I guess that I will never trust any figures that Public Citizen publishes .... on anything. I frankly did not pay any attention to them until they decided to go after Lotronex with some false data, and now Zelnorm.Noticed the article was very partisan, which would probably be expected since Nadar is not the President of U.S. I wonder how much of the money donated to them goes to their lobbying efforts? As I looked through their list of documents/testimony before Congress it would appear they are lobbying as much as anybody.Neither did they address the fact that pharmaceutical companies do provide free meds for those who cannot afford them.I know, get off my soap box!!Rhea


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## vikee (Feb 5, 2000)

Rhea, No, do not get off your soap box. It is your right as an American Citizen!! Be proud of that!! We just do not agree on these issues.You state, ï¿½I guess that I will never trust any figures that Public Citizen publishes .... on anything.ï¿½ Of course this is your right, a right with which I donï¿½t disagree. Public Citizen has documented its figures. If you question even one, tell me which and where it was quoted and I will locate the source from which it was gotten. Which figures about Drug Companies do you believe that contradict Public Citizen? Where do they come from? I would like to know. If I am wrong and you are right, I will stand corrected.I would like to know if this statement you made is a true, ï¿½pharmaceutical companies do provide free meds for those who cannot afford them..ï¿½ If it is, I would like to verify this information as fact and make it available to this and other Medical Support Group Bulletin Boards and people, especially the sick and poor and elderly. I would like to know how I can get this free medication for people in need. I have tried and been unsuccessful. You might have information which I do not have or your statement may not be correct. I have no argument with your opinions. I do not agree with them but they are valid for you. I question your opinion of Public Citizen and statement about free medication for the needy.I do not mean to upset you and hope I have not. I am always open to different points of view, although I must admit I favor hard facts! That is just my nature!------------------Take care, Forever Vikee


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## w_bgal (May 13, 2001)

Hi Vickee, I will have to go through all the FDA and PC docs again, but not at this hour. The one thing that comes to mind because it has been so recent was the conflict between what FDA wanted regarding Zelnorm (more testing for gall bladder surgery)and PC's recent letter to the FDA about ovarian cysts .... something wrong with that picture. PC twists things to fit their issues.Did you look at the list of meds they have been fighting since the early 1980s? It is on their web site .... documents and testimony before Congress.I like hard facts and figures also, but I find PC's letters/petitions/stands on any issue a bit like trying to hang on to a hot, wet, well-cooked piece of spaghetti. They write a lot of panic button pushing information in the various parts of their web site. In some cases it is obvious that they picked it up after the fact and added their own twist.I didn't even know PC existed on line until I joined this board, so I am not coming from any predetermined mind set.As far as the free meds .... some sites have been posted here on the board, others I have done a search for to give to an email friend who works with senior citizens. There are, of course, income cap levels and it takes a little work going through the system with paperwork, getting the doctor's cooperation, etc. If the day ever comes that I cannot pay for my meds, and I fall within the income level, believe me, I will work it through! One thing to remember about the free meds .... they are most likely a tax write off .... like giving to charity.From what I have heard, most doctors will try and keep their supplies of "samples" for their patients who financially need them. How many people really ask for the help?Rhea


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## vikee (Feb 5, 2000)

Rhea, when I said, ï¿½ Which figures about Drug Companies do you believe that contradict Public Citizen? Where do they come from? I would like to know. If I am wrong and you are right, I will stand corrected,ï¿½ I was referring to the above article, ï¿½Drugmakers spent a record $262 million to halt Medicare drug benefit.ï¿½ Iï¿½m sorry that I did not make myself clear. It is this statement and others in the above article that I feel is true and factual, "The drug industry is one of the more hypocritical industries around .......It claims to be working for consumers when in fact it uses profits from sales to buy access to lawmakers and defeat pro-consumer prescription drug legislation."As I said I do not agree with Public Citizen on most of their criticism of Specific drugs being removed from the market. In fact I use daily several they claim is unsafe. So I do agree with you that Public Citizenï¿½s position on most drugs does not protect the consumer! I have written to them many times about drug issues to voice my opposition. However, they hold to their research and position. When you say, ï¿½I didn't even know PC existed on line until I joined this board, so I am not coming from any predetermined mind set,ï¿½ I must say that then you have developed a negative and one sided attitude toward Public Citizen. People on this BB have made many claims about Public Citizen as an Organization that are solely based on their knowledge of Public Citizen in relation to Lotronex and Zelnorm. Many do not know of the many others drugs that I feel they have unjustly asked to be removed from the market, as well as the many good things they have accomplished.Yes, there were negative statements made about Ralph Nader and his personal character and ambitions, again only one side was presented. And all of the statements attacking Ralph Nader were opinions. We all had opinions about all the men running for President of the United States. We voiced our opinions in an election, a rather unusual one this time.I believe Drug companies exist for the sole purpose of making money and not protecting the consumer. I also believe Public Citizen exists to protect the average and often uneducated consumer. I am not good at debating or even defending my position but I try as I remain one voice among others. If you visited the site Public Citizen has, you can judge for yourself. It is an Organization that tries to protect the average working person from the often deceptive advertising and motives of powerful Companies that control a lot in our Country. These Companies are not in the business of helping! You even state about free medication, ï¿½One thing to remember about the free meds .... they are most likely a tax write off .... like giving to charity.ï¿½If you have time and are curious, sometime check out Public Citizenï¿½s web site: http://www.citizen.org./ On the issue of Free Medication I stand corrected and informed and I thank you Rhea!There is help for Free Medicine, and posted on the IBS Self Help BB as a Thread by Pookie's Mom! I plan to pass on this information. I am very excited about it!! The site is: http://www.doctorhealthynet.com/free_medic...dicine_home.htm Regarding, FREE MEDICINE at this site it states that, ï¿½The leadership of most American drug companies believe that no patient in need of their available product samples should be deprived of them. As a means of assisting those patients who can not afford to purchase these products, they offer enrollment in their patient assistance programs. Applicants must be truly needy and must not qualify for government drug assistance or have third party insurance coverage for drugs.......PARTIAL LIST OF COMMON MEDICATIONS AVAILABLE ON INDIGENT PROGRAMS OF PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES PLEASE CLICK ON THE MEDICINE YOU NEED BUT CANNOT AFFORD...ï¿½There is a large list of medications!And then they state, ï¿½If your medicine is not listed here, please click here for a more complete listing of more than 700 free medications available for the indigent.ï¿½ I did click and found a site that is so very helpful!This site can be given to a Health Care Provider: http://www.rxassist.org/ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ And youï¿½re right many people do not ask for help or are educated in ways that you or I would try to get help somewhere. In many presentations Public Citizen points out to Government Controlling Agencies that the poor and uneducated are left helpless at the hands of big Corporations. Public Citizen is the watchdog for the average consumer, the needy, the elderly poor and often helpless Citizens. It gives our Government a helping hand in controlling Companies and Corporations that hold profit at the consumerï¿½s expense.I do Love and Respect Ralph Nader and have followed him and Public Citizen since 1971. However, from my own personal evaluation of the Presidential Candidates and our Country, I did not vote for him. I believe what he says, yet fear for myself and others the price we would have to pay now for radical governmental reform.Thanks for listening to me, and now who is on a soapbox?!Take care. Forever Vikee


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## Guest (Aug 6, 2001)

My problem with groups like Public Citizen is that ultimately they run out of great causes, start taking up good causes, and then end up taking up ANY cause simply to continue their existence. I believe PC finds statistics and science to justify their positions, I'm an accountant, I know how to make numbers,"facts", fit a position.I believe you can not protect 100% of the population from having a bad doctor or from taking bad advise or from making bad decisions. No drug, NO DRUG, can EVER have a guarantee of 100% success or 0% no risk. It is not logical to pretend that it can be otherwise.I am not quite sure what the positives of an organization like Public Citizen are. After their one or two great causes, it may be wise to disband and start again when another great cause comes along.


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## vikee (Feb 5, 2000)

Public Citizen is always busy and active, check out their web site and then form an opinion: http://www.citizen.org./ About Public Citizen1600 20th St. NWWashington, DC. 20009(202) 588-1000 Founded by Ralph Nader in 1971, Public Citizen is the consumer's eyes and ears in Washington. With the support of more than 150,000 people like you, we fight for safer drugs and medical devices, cleaner and safer energy sources, a cleaner environment, fair trade, and a more open and democratic government. We stand up for you against thousands of special interest lobbyists in Washington -- well-heeled agents for drug companies, the automakers, big energy interests, and the like. Our budget is small by comparison. But Public Citizen is respected and effective, precisely because we accept no government or corporate support. We speak only for you. Six Divisions -- One Mission CONGRESS WATCH champions consumer and citizen interests before the U.S. Congress. Among other issues, Congress Watch lobbies to strengthen protection of the public's health and safety and the environment; demands an end to corporate subsidies; fights to preserve citizen access to the courts to redress corporate wrongdoing; and seeks to ensure a strong democracy by exposing the harmful impact of money in politics and advocating for comprehensive campaign finance reform.THE HEALTH RESEARCH GROUP fights for safe foods, drugs and medical devices; for greater consumer control over personal health decisions; and for universal access to quality health care. As the country's leading consumer watchdog group on health issues, HRG has exposed the tobacco industry's pervasive influence on Capitol Hill, the failure of state medical boards to discipline incompetent doctors, and the unnecessarily high rate of caesarean section deliveries. THE LITIGATION GROUP is the nation's preeminent public interest law firm. Its attorneys bring precedent-setting lawsuits on behalf of citizens in order to protect the health, safety, and rights of consumers. THE CRITICAL MASS ENERGY PROJECT is a powerful voice in the movement to decrease reliance on nuclear and fossil fuels and to promote safe, economical, and environmentally sound energy use through conservation and renewable sources. Critical Mass prepares and disseminates reports, lobbies Congress, and acts as a watchdog of key federal and state energy regulatory agencies. GLOBAL TRADE WATCH leads the way in educating the American public about the enormous impact of international trade and economic globalization on our jobs, the environment, public health and safety and democratic accountability. Global Trade Watch works in defense of consumer health and safety, the environment, good jobs and democratic decision-making which are threatened by the so-called "free trade" agenda of the proponents of economic globalization. BUYERS UP is a home heating-oil cooperative group buying program that acts as an information resource on home energy and environmental issues. Its reports have yielded important data on the over-promotion of high-octane gasoline by the oil companies, and the failure of many states to ensure the quality of gasoline sold to consumers. PUBLICATIONS Include: The Critical Mass Energy and Enviroment Program:Nuclear Safety, Electricity Deregulation,	Energy Efficiency, Nuclear Waste	Motor Vehicles & Fuel RenewablesCongress Watch Publications include Subject Areas of:Civil Justice/Legal Rights, Food & Drug Safety/Regulatory Reform, Tobacco, Corporate Welfare, and Campaign Finance Reform, and Government EthicsPublic Citizen Litigation Group, BRIEFS, TESTIMONY AND MEMORANDA include:Arbitration Class Actions, Election Laws, Electronic Records,ï¿½First Amendment, FOIA and Government Secrecy, Health and Safety Regulations, Internet Free Speech, List of Cases in U.S. Supreme Court,	Non-Lawyer Representation, Non-Profit Legal Matters	, Open Court Proceedings, Preemption of Consumer Remedies	, Protecting Personal Liberties, Separation of Powers, Tobacco, Union Democracy and Workers' RightsGlobal Trade Watch Publications Lists include: MAI, NAFTA, WTO, China,and GlobalizationHealth Research Group Publications include; Food, Drugs, Medical Devices, HealthCare Delivery, Occupational Health (OSHA) and Hazardous ChemicalsThe Latest News and Reports:Shays-Meehan Campaign Finance ReformFirestone Tire Recall PageAug. 2 - The latest patients' rights proposalï¿½ will continue to provide a legal shield to HMOs that deny medical care to their patients.Aug. 1 - Today's Senate vote on Mexican trucks was a resounding victory for highway safety, Public Citizen President Joan Claybrook said. To learn more about the issue, visit our Mexican trucks page.Aug. 1 - A Senate committee has passed legislation that will continue to give a windfall to the pharmaceutical industry while failing to assure that all drugs likely to be used in children will be tested for safety prior to marketing. July 23 - The drug industry spends only a fraction of what it claims on research and development, destroying a key argument it uses against making prescription drugs affordable to middle and low-income seniors, a new Public Citizen report has found.July 23 - The drug industry embarked on an unprecedented lobbying blitz last year to stop federal lawmakers from enacting a Medicare drug benefit.July 20 - The Senate vote on the nomination of John Graham to be the country's next regulatory overseer puts him on notice to use his clout to protect ordinary Americans instead of corporations.June 26 - Farmers have seen their incomes drop while consumers are paying more for food after seven years of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a Public Citizen report shows.The site (Public Citizen) is very interesting and informative on many issues facing our Country and its People. This is indeed my personal opinion after spending many years being informed and active in Public Citizen. The issues are rather complicated for we live in a most diverse and complex Society which spins faster on its axis, as each day in cyberspace has no end. That keeps everyone in constant moton and often too tired and angry, to notice any harm!------------------Take care, Forever Vikee


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