Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

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Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) is a trade body of the pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies in the United States. PhRMA's mission is advocacy for public policies that encourage the discovery of new medicines for patients by pharmaceutical/biotechnology research companies. It is one of the largest and most influential lobbying organizations in Washington. Representing 48 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, PhRMA has 20 registered lobbyists on staff and has contracted with dozens of lobby and PR firms -- including Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, Barbour Griffith & Rogers, DCI Group, The Dutko Group, Edelman and Bonner & Associates -- to promote its members' interests. PhRMA has a record of hiding its lobbying and PR activities, often by paying other organizations, such as United Seniors Association (USA) or the Consumer Alliance, to advocate industry-friendly policies.

"PhRMA Appears to Have Funneled Up to $41 Million To "Stealth PACs" to Help Elect a Drug Industry-Friendly Congress" according to a Sept. 2004 report published by stealthpacs.org.

On its website PhRMA state its "mission is winning advocacy for public policies that encourage the discovery of life-saving and life-enhancing new medicines for patients by pharmaceutical/biotechnology research companies.

"To accomplish this mission, PhRMA is dedicated to achieving in Washington, DC, the states and the world:

"Broad patient access to safe and effective medicines through a free market, without price controls,
"Strong intellectual property incentives, and
"Transparent, efficient, regulation and a free flow of information to patients."[1]

The February 2003 issue of the AARP Bulletin reported: "Three nonprofit organizations that claim to speak for older Americans are in fact heavily bankrolled by the pharmaceutical industry, an examination of tax records by the AARP Bulletin shows. United Seniors Association, for example, got more than a third of its funds in 2001 from drug-industry sources. The big donors included Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the industry's trade association; Citizens for Better Medicare, a PhRMA-funded nonprofit group; and Pfizer Inc. Total industry contributions: at least $3.1 million."

PhRMA lobbying activities have extended outside of the United States. "America's big drug companies are intensifying their lobbying efforts to 'change the Canadian health-care system' and eliminate subsidized prescription drug prices enjoyed by Canadians," CanWest News Service reported on June 9, 2003. "A prescription drug industry spokesman in Washington confirmed to CanWest News Service that information contained in confidential industry documents is accurate and that $1 million US is being added to the already heavily funded drug lobby against the Canadian system." PhRMA was the leading drug industry trade group behind the increased lobbying and PR campaign. PhRMA was also independently spending $450,000 to target the booming Canadian Internet pharmacy industry, which has been providing Americans with prescription drugs at lower prices than in the United States.

In June 2004, PhRMA teamed up with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Psychiatric Association "to demonstrate the cost of depression in the workplace and to show employers that treating affected workers would improve the bottom line." The three groups endorsed a "depression calculator," which allows employers to estimate the effect of untreated depression on their company's profits, through absenteeism and low productivity. The calculator also figures "how much the business would save if employees were treated."[2] The Arizona-based "health-care consulting firm" The HSM Group organized the calculator's public "introduction." At the press conference unveiling the calculator, PhRMA's senior vice president for policy, research and strategic planning, Richard Smith, said: "A depressed employee is less productive or absent for 30 to 50 days a year. ... The person's medical costs are $2,000 to $3,000 more than other employees."[3]

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[edit] References

John Mack, "PhRMA Intern vs. BOTOX!", Pharma Marketing Blog's Further Adventures of PhRMA Intern! fighting for believability, justice for pharmaceutical companies, and the PhRMA Way.
Matthew Peschong, "PhRMA Releases Questionable Report", Lobbying group PhRMA recently released a statement in which they received 284 messages from the public in which they blast their advertising practices.
Nicholas Confessore, "Meet the Press: How James Glassman reinvented journalism--as lobbying", Washington Monthly, December 2003.
Sheryl Gay Stolberg, "Drug Lobby Pushed Letter By Senators On Medicare", New York Times, July 30, 2003, p. A15.
Jim VandeHei and Juliet Eilperin, "Drug Firms Gain Church Group's Aid Claim About Import Measure Stirs Anger", Washington Post, July 23, 2003, p. A1.
Tim Craig, "Community Leaders Decry Lobby Firm's Fax", Baltimore Sun, March 9, 2002.
Peter H. Stone, "PhRMA Fights Back", National Journal, July 21, 2001.
Julian Borger, "USA: The Pharmaceutical Industry Stalks the Corridors of Power", Guardian Unlimited, February 13, 2001
Judy Sarasohn, "Tauzin to Head Drug Trade Group", Washington Post, December 16, 2004.
Public Citizen, "Rep. Billy Tauzin Demonstrates That Washington's “Revolving Door” Is Spinning Out of Control: Public Citizen Calls for a Change in Ethics and Lobbying Rules", Media Release, December 15, 2004.