New Hampshire Rx data case appeal

Two of the world's largest health data providers, IMS Health and SDI, have filed a motion with the US First Circuit Court of Appeals to  request a rehearing of the decision to overturn a New Hampshire US  District Court ruling that struck down the State's law banning the  commercial use of prescriber-identifiable data (Marketletters passim).  SDI took over Verispan, one of the original three firms contesting the  data-mining restrictions, in July 2008.

In a joint statement, the firms said: "we have reviewed the First  Circuit's decision and believe that there is a strong basis for a  rehearing. We strongly believe the First Amendment [of the US  Constitution] protects the full dissemination of prescriber-identifiable  data, which is vital to efforts to improve the quality, efficiency and  safety of our health care system. Further, we agree with prior decisions  that without these data the potential exists to compromise patient  care."