McCaskill stumps for health, pharmaceutical reform

U S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., was on the UMKC Hospital Hill campus primarily to talk about the proposed Federal Registry bill involving the pharmaceutical lobby that will be placed before the U.S. Senate in September. That issue was not the only one dangled before a throng of listeners.

In the midst of a political climate pushing toward the 2008 election cycle, McCaskill also took the opportunity to offer her views (and what she termed to be those of many around Missouri and the nation) about health insurance.

"I think this election is going to be about health care reform," McCaskill said. "The people of this country are about to take up pitch forks about the delivery of healthcare. Everywhere I go, that's all people want to talk about."

McCaskill spoke last Tuesday in front of students involved with the American Medical Students Association (AMSA) along with many staff and faculty from the School of Medicine.

Paige Hatcher, director of Student Programming for AMSA, spoke to the group prior to McCaskill about the main topic of the day, pharmaceutical reform. The Pharm Free program was established by AMSA and pushes back against what McCaskill called a "wildly powerful" pharmaceutical lobby.

The Federal Registry bill is to be co-sponsored by McCaskill and Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wisc. Hatcher called the bill an extension of initiatives several states' already have in place.

"[McCaskill and Kohl] are actually looking to expand the state-wide registries to the federal level," Hatcher said. "It's a problem that needs solving. Some doctors are receiving as much as $10,000 per year [from drug companies]."

McCaskill opened her discussion by speaking to the differences between doctors` and pharmaceutical companies` aims.

"What the drug companies want is not the same thing doctors want," McCaskill said. "The drug companies` … only goal is to sell more drugs. Doctors` goals are to try and find the best drugs possible at the lowest cost that is most effective for their patients."

McCaskill went on to explain just what the bill hoped to achieve. She noted much of the impetus for the issue was similar to aspects of the Senate's own ethics reforms which tightened rules that related to earmarks and lobbying.

"This bill is about public disclosure," McCaskill said. "It will require the drug companies to totally disclose everything they do on the internet that they are giving to doctors. It's the process of opening it up to public scrutiny that will have a cleansing effect."

Hatcher focused on the issue of pharmaceutical companies offering samples to doctors. She said studies have been done that show giving out samples actually changes some doctors prescribing habits in an inappropriate manner. McCaskill did not join that part of the discussion.

Interim Provost and Dean of the School of Medicine Dr. Betty Drees attended the event and threw her support behind the initiative.

"We, as a university, are very much in favor of this legislation," Drees said.

When pressed in a question-and-answer session following her speech, McCaskill said she would return to promote the healthcare topic after the present political climate became more favorable, most likely after the 2008 presidential election.

dstroud@unews.com