US health reform unites drugmakers, consumers

What would normally be considered an unlikely alliance, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and  Families USA, has been brought together to launch a three-point campaign  for more federal government involvement in the funding and delivery of  health care in the USA. The latter group is a consumer health  organization which, among others, has fought PhRMA over  direct-to-consumer advertising; the 2004 Medicare Millennium Act, that  established the Part D prescription drug benefit; medicine imports from  Canada; and tort law reform.

A look at Families USA's publications list on prescription drugs reveals  annual surveys of selected class action law suits against drug companies  as well as numerous attacks on "Big Pharma's" alleged exploitation of  Medicare reforms and "failure" to invest in urgent areas of medical  need.

Billy Tauzin, the PhRMA's president and chief executive, and Ron  Pollack, Families USA's executive director, both diplomatically stated  that, "although our views do not always converge, we share a common  belief about a fundamental goal of health care reform. Every American  deserves high-quality, affordable health coverage and care."