FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Thursday, July 27, 2006
CONTACT: Yoni Cohen (Stark), (202) 225-3202
                      Heather Lasher Todd (Pallone), (202) 225-4671 

Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Representatives Pete Stark (D-CA) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) today introduced the Prescription Privacy Protection Act of 2006. This legislation would prevent drug companies from using physician prescription data to pressure doctors to prescribe certain drugs.

"Patients shouldn’t have to worry that doctors are prescribing drugs for the wrong reasons," said Stark, the Ranking Democrat of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health. "Using physician prescription data that should remain private, pharmaceutical sales representatives currently hawk snake oil to doctors. The Prescription Privacy Protection Act would stop salespeople from influencing physicians’ medical decisions."

In May, the New York Times highlighted how sales representatives are using physicians' prescription records to boost their sales. According to the article, “Doctors Object to Gathering of Drug Data,” drug companies pay to access private computer databases that show which physicians are prescribing what drugs and how often.  The article goes on to note, "Armed with such data, a drug sales representative can pressure a doctor to write more prescriptions for a name-brand medicine or fewer orders for a competitor's drug."

"Doctors should be free to prescribe the medication they believe will be most effective," said Pallone, a Senior Member of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health.  "As trained medical professionals they deserve to make these decisions without pressure from pharmaceutical sales representatives whose only goal is to increase drug sales for their specific company."

The Prescription Privacy Protection Act of 2006 would amend the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to prohibit a drug manufacturer from using prescriber identifiable health information for commercial purposes, including: advertising, marketing, promotion, or any other activity that could influence sales or prescribing behavior of physicians.  The legislation does allow for exceptions, such as pharmacy reimbursement and health care research.