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Catania Hosts National Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices |
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Councilmember Chairs Working Group to Reduce Prescription Drug Prices
Washington, DC – Today, Councilmember David A. Catania (At-Large) chaired the 2008 Fall Meeting of the National Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices (NLARx) at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C. NLARx hosted its meeting in conjunction with a conference sponsored by the Prescription Drug Project. Legislators from across the country, as well as healthcare advocates, Congressional staffers, and academicians attended today’s events.
“Once again, NLARx has assembled an impressive group of legislators who are dedicated to lowering prescription drug prices in their states,” said Catania. “These meetings give us a chance to celebrate our successes and prepare our agenda for the coming year.”
The 2008 Fall Meeting agenda included roundtable discussions on improving prescription drug policy in an era of health care reform, recent action and laws on Pharmacy Benefit Managers, and an update on legislation pending in several states. The meeting also included discussions on the role of prescription drug reform in moving a national health care agenda, building a national prescription drug reform coalition and the ways in which pharmaceutical companies manipulate scientific data to advance commercial interests. Legislatures also discussed their new legislative priorities and strategies for 2009.
The Prescription Project Conference included a keynote address by Congressman Henry Waxman– incoming Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. As Chairman of the Committee, Waxman told NLARx attendees that he intends to tackle a range of health care issues including placing limits on direct-to-consumer advertising of new prescription drugs especially when that drug first reaches the market with little known risks.
NLARX is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization founded and directed by state legislators. Its mission is to assist legislators who seek to work jointly across state lines to make prescription drugs more affordable and accessible to people in the United States, especially by reducing prescription drug prices. Catania was elected to the position of Chairman of NLARx in March 2007. For more information, visit http://www.reducedrugprices.org.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 09 December 2008 )
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