(Senator John Gleason serves Michigan's 27th District. Prior to being elected to the Senate in 2006, he served two terms in the House, and also served as a Genesee County Commissioner from 1995-2002. Gleason organized the annual Genesee County Health Fair—an event that included free health screening for local residents, and has won numerous awards in many areas for his contributions to public service. Welcome Senator Gleason! - promoted by wizardkitten)
We've all seen the prescription drug ads on TV where some happy person is miraculously cured of whatever's ailing them by the latest wonder drug. Then comes the litany of fine print and accompanying laundry list of the potential side effects the drug may cause, many of which sound ten times worse than what you're actually trying to alleviate. And there's one side effect that is very real but rarely addressed appropriately, whether it's in commercials or the Capitol: Death.
If you are currently taking a prescription drug or know someone who is (so pretty much everyone), you might want to listen up. Michigan is the only state in the nation with a law that prohibits any legal recourse for families who are harmed by the drugs they are prescribed. That means that if you or a loved one suffers from debilitating health issues or is even killed by a prescription that was supposed to help you, the drug company that made it is free from accountability.
That is the law, and that law needs to change. That's why the first major piece of legislation I introduced as a State Senator was to address and end drug immunity for big drug companies and bring justice back to Michigan citizens. I introduced Senate Bill 43 on January 24, 2007, my first month in office and back when our current budgetary quagmire was just a blank stare in the Majority Leader's eyes. Now, almost nine months have passed with no action, and Michigan residents continue to suffer at the hands of unscrupulous drug manufacturers and obstructionist officials.
The Michigan House has also seen the need for this legislation, passing HB 4046, a bill to repeal Michigan's Drug Immunity Law, back in February. Unfortunately, it's another instance of a sound and innovative piece of legislation engineered by the Democratic majority over there that has itself been given a prescription for death by being sent to the Republican-led Senate.
Drug companies have come under fire because a number of prescription drugs they market have been found to lead to heart attacks, strokes and other serious health issues. Last August, a federal jury handed down a verdict that Merck was negligent and knowingly made misrepresentations about its drug Vioxx that was to blame for the death of a 62 year-old former FBI agent. Annual sales of Vioxx top $2.5 Billion, while it is estimated that the drug caused 27,785 fatal heart attacks over five years. That means the drug company pockets nearly $450,000 per death. And right here in Michigan, our own men and women have suffered strokes, paralysis and even death, joining the hundreds of thousands negatively affected by prescribed pain and other medications like Vioxx. For more information on the dark and dangerous side of Vioxx and other prescription drugs, visit www.rxvictims.com.
We put our trust in the doctors who treat us, the medicine they prescribe, and the companies that manufacture those drugs. And when any of those fails us, when we suffer pain, disability or even death, we need to know we and our families are protected. And right now, we are not.
It's ridiculous to think that drug companies are knowingly putting people in harm's way with the very drugs designed to help them, and it's even more ridiculous that here in Michigan there's nothing people can do about it. Drug companies are shirking liability and using their special interest money to keep such consumer protection laws from passing.
It is a top priority for Senate Democrats to end immunity for drug companies when a dangerous drug like Vioxx harms or kills someone, and the Senate should be taking my legislation up immediately to do so. The only opponents to this issue are large drug companies and their special interest groups, and the Republican legislators that do their bidding who seem content to shelve this bill indefinitely. The opposition to this legislation protects big drug companies, keeping their liability down and their profits up at the expense of Michigan citizens. We need to hold these drug companies accountable for the quality of their products, and provide a voice for the safety and well-being of Michigan citizens.
Unfortunately for now, it seems the only way we're going to end drug immunity is if we develop a way to create special interest immunity as well.
