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Arnold Relman writes about the pharmaceutical industry in The New Republic. His column is a response to a book by Richard Epstein that blames excessive regulation for stifling innovation when it comes to developing new drugs. Relman picks apart Epstein’s arguments and shows what has happened to the pharmaceutical industry as it has tried to be seen as maintaining a commitment to America’s health while also being beholden to their shareholders.

Epstein comes from the school of thought that believes that health care should be an individual responsibility and that government should not be involved. In this mindset, the forces of the marketplace will theoretically produce the optimal result. What we’ve discovered as we’ve moved more and more in that direction is that it doesn’t happen. The desire to maximize profits in the pharmaceutical industry has often run contrary to what the average American sees as the optimal result. Drugs are incredibly expensive and the companies have tremendous power to limit our ability to find alternatives. In addition, the regulatory mechanisms don’t go away, the pharmaceutical industry just uses them to protect their market position. A good example of this is how the pharmaceutical industry has strong-armed the FDA into keeping people from being able to import cheaper drugs from Canada.

While the pharmaceutical industry has maintained that the high cost of drugs are a result of the need to recoup the costs of R&D, Relman points out that even the former CEO of Merck disputes that claim. The high costs of drugs are based upon what the market will bear for that drug. And as we’ve discovered with health care in general, market forces tend to work better for the things we want than for the things we need. As a result, America’s pharmaceutical industry is one of its most profitable sectors, even as they continue to complain about the high cost of doing business. Drug prices don’t go down over time, they usually go up.

Pharmaceutical companies have given us a lot of new drugs in the past decade or so. Many of them, as Relman notes, are copycat drugs that do things very similar to existing drugs. The market contains a number of anti-anxiety medications, cures for erectile dysfunction, and cures for diseases like restless leg syndrome that we never knew we had. In the end, the system skews towards drugs that are cheaper to produce (many of which appear to be more recreational in nature), which are then heavily advertised to doctors and patients, while fixing more life-critical conditions are a lower priority. Even for the life-critical drugs, Epstein argues for less regulation in the certification process and maintains that safety concerns will just shake out as doctors and patients discover the benefits and drawbacks of particular drugs on their own.

One particular area of the pharmaceutical industry, though, creates some conflict among two traditional factions of the Republican Party. Highly addictive drugs used for pain management are a major source of concern for social conservatives, but have been a major cash cow for certain firms with close ties to high-profile Republicans. Purdue Pharma, the makers of OxyContin, is one company that has had to surf this divide. Some of Purdue’s top execs recently received probation and were fined over $600 million for misleading the public as to how addictive their drug was.

The verdict against the executives was different from the more traditional way that anti-drug officials in the DEA have attacked this problem – by going after doctors who specialize in pain management. Because of the addictiveness of OxyContin (which came to be called Hillbilly Heroin), many doctors were accused of supporting illegitimate drug use and found themselves being aggressively and often unfairly prosecuted. It took action from people who’ve lost loved ones in order for those who manufactured this drug to be held accountable for lying about its medical properties.

This outcome shouldn’t be a surprise. In a profit-driven system, Purdue Pharma’s actions were perfectly rational. Admitting that your product is as addictive as heroin when crushed into a powder is bad for the bottom line. So instead, they hired now-Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani to lobby in support of the drug. They paid the father of a victim of an OxyContin overdose, Steven Steiner, to travel around the country to campaign against medical marijuana, a drug that has some similar uses to OxyContin, but is much safer (and yet still illegal at the federal level). And to underscore how much pull they had, people at high levels of the Justice Department tried to get the Virginia prosecutors to go easy on Purdue.

OxyContin can be a very useful drug for people living with severe pain. The solution is not to ban doctors from ever prescribing it any more than it’s not the solution to allow the free market to dictate how it’s marketed and sold to the American public. The answer is to ensure that government oversight provides both patients and doctors with the most accurate information possible and give them the freedom to make the most informed decisions possible, not to criminalize addiction so that people aren’t afraid to help others or get help. The FDA and the DEA should exist to protect us, not the pharmaceutical companies.

You know, if you’re gonna send out a fundraising letter slamming your opponent, it might be a good idea to remove you opponent’s name and address from your mailing list:

You can read a PDF of the entire letter here; given the context of this race, it’s kinda hysterical. In a transparently lazy, boilerplate attempt to scare up some contributions, Jane Hague writes fearfully generically about her mudslinging opponent, and warns that the primary election is a “little more than six weeks” away. Only problem is, the primary election is about three weeks away, having been moved this year from September to August, and her opponent… well… it’s hardly fair to say she even has one.

As usual, Hague is running unopposed in the Republican primary, and the Dems were so disorganized this year that they’ve found themselves in the nearly impossible situation of running a write-in campaign against perennial candidate and HA regular, Richard Pope. So all this talk about needing money ahead of the primary to fend off a well-funded campaign of “personal destruction”…? Well, it’s um… what’s the word I’m looking for here? Oh, I know: lies.

If that’s the kind of respect she shows people who give her money, imagine how she treats those who only give her their votes? And why would anyone give money to a candidate so lazy, she can’t even pick up the phone and ask her consultants to write a fundraising letter specific to this year’s campaign? This deserves a thorough fisking.

“My opponent has a long track record of running campaigns that focus less on the issues and more on negative — and often personal — attacks.”

I assume she’s talking about Richard, who has a long track record of running campaigns that pretty much don’t focus on anything, except maybe planting a handful of yard signs.

“I expect outside special interests to spend heavily in an attempt to scare people into voting against me.”

Dollars to donuts, the bulk of Richard’s campaign war chest this year will be spent on the filing fee.

“Sadly, I’m rapidly coming to the conclusion — from what’s already being said to the media and special interest groups — that my opponent has no intention of focusing his campaign on the real differences between us on the issues.”

Again with the “focus” crap. This is what… Richard’s twelfth race in as many years? He runs for a different office every election. Clearly, the man suffers from a debilitating form of political ADD. I wouldn’t worry about his focus.

“It seems clear that my opponent will instead engage in the kind of politics of personal destruction we so often see back in the other Washington.”

Your opponent is “engaged” in a hotly contested primary battle with a write-in candidate. ‘Nuff said.

“I promise to remain centered on a positive vision for the Eastside, but I also must be prepared to respond to any negative attacks made by my opponent.”

Define “negative attacks.” Would that include falsely accusing your opponent of negative attacks he lacks the resources (financial and otherwise) to launch?

“Help me raise the financial resources necessary to respond to an opponent who’s more about degradation and destruction than solving the problems we face.”

“Degradation and destruction”…? Who does she think her opponent is… Osama bin Laden? I’ve got nothing against Richard — and even admit to an odd fondness for the guy — but this is Richard fucking Pope we’re talking about for chrissake! Hague already enjoys a modest $226,546 to zero fundraising advantage over Pope; what kind of addition “financial resources” does she need?

“The bottom line is this campaign is going to be hard fought.”

The bottom line is this campaign is a cakewalk. The bottom line is Hague has needlessly gone on the attack against an opponent who rarely campaigns outside the comment threads of a handful of local blogs. The bottom line is Hague is a liar, shamelessly fleecing her fellow Republicans for money that would be better spent elsewhere.

And the bottom line is, Hague knows that this is the last time she runs unopposed, virtual or otherwise; like the remaining vestige of the once dominant Eastside GOP establishment, she’s frightened for her political future. This campaign isn’t about this campaign, it’s about fattening her larders for 2011, when a host of qualified Democrats will be drooling at the opportunity to take down Hague in her formerly Republican district.

This is to get my lame post off the top…

We now know a little more [emphasis mine] about the shooting that occurred yesterday in Bothell downtown Seattle:

The shooting suspect is being held at the King County Jail, under investigation of being a felon in possession of a firearm, assault and committing a crime while under DOC supervision. He served prison time for selling cocaine.

Well done! Another non-violent criminal turned into a violent one thanks to the drug war. Are we winning yet?

UPDATE: Richard Pope in the comments has dug up the full list of this man’s violations and it’s a long one, starting in 4-2000 when he was either 12 or 13. It looks like I was a little too quick to assume what I did here. I will be re-implementing my “no posting after DL” policy immediately. :)

I’m filling in all week for Frank Shiers, Monday through Friday, from 9PM to 1AM on Newsradio 710-KIRO. The 9PM hour tonight features a candidate forum between Bill Sherman and Keith Scully, both seeking the Democratic nomination for King County Prosecutor. At 10PM, noted chronicler of right-wing extremist hate speech Dave Neiwert joins me to discuss noted right-wing extremist hate talker Bill O’Reilly.

Tune in tonight (or listen to the live stream) and give me a call: 1-877-710-KIRO (5476).

The Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally meets tonight (and every Tuesday), 8PM at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. I’m on the air tonight, so I’ll be leaving by the time things officially start, but there will be plenty of other folks with whom to share some hoppy brew and some hopped up conversation.

Not in Seattle? Liberals will also be drinking tonight in the Tri-Cities. A full listing of Washington’s eleven Drinking Liberally chapters is available here.

A couple weeks after announcing his run for the 8th Congressional District Democratic nomination, State Sen. Rodney Tom finally has his campaign website up online, touting his “experience” and “knowledge of the issues,” and of course, slamming the Republican incumbent, Rep. Dave Reichert:

The current congressman has repeatedly failed us, most importantly by stubbornly sticking with President Bush in support of the war in Iraq, not asking the tough questions prior to the invasion, and not holding this President accountable as this conflict has evolved.

Um… nobody likes to stick it to Reichert more than me, but to be fair to the congressman, it’s hard to blame him for “not asking the tough questions prior to” the March 2003 invasion, when he wasn’t even elected to Congress until 2004. (Considering Tom’s “knowledge of the issues,” you’d think he would’ve known that.) Come to think of it, Reichert wasn’t even a declared Republican at the time, having recently won a second full term to the nonpartisan office of Sheriff. As for Tom, I’m guessing he didn’t have much time to ask those tough questions during the build up to war, as he was too busy campaigning for the state House… as a Republican.

I’m just sayin’….

It looks like Bill O’Reilly’s crusade to shame corporate America from sponsoring hate-talking media seems to have scored another victory:

Home Depot seems to have had a change of heart. They’re now unequivocally telling their customers that they will not advertise on Bill O’Reilly’s show.

Personally, I tend to shy away from supporting boycotts. But if O’Reilly and his masters at News Corp are intent on waging economic war on the nascent progressive media infrastructure, then it is time to fight fire with fire. And when O’Reilly compares liberal bloggers like me to the Nazi Party and the Ku Klux Klan, he not only insults the victims of these hate groups, but as David Neiwert points out, he is projecting.

Bill O’Reilly is a hate-talker. FOX News is a hate group. It is time to start letting corporate America know that they will lose the business of mainstream America if they continue to sponsor this sort of proto-fascist hate-mongering.

PROGRAMMING NOTE:
I’m filling in again for Frank Shiers tonight on 710-KIRO. David Neiwert will be my guest in the 10PM hour.

Kind of abbreviated to deal with real life stuff this week and maybe next.

* If you ask some people, the conflict between Shia and Sunni in Iraq is about to come to an end, just ask the Iraqi parliament. If you ask non-crazy people, you might get a different answer.

* I’m loathe to link to Andrew Sullivan, because he was one of the most vile of the bullshit artists in the lead up to and the first few years of the war. Still, good on him for calling bullshit on the people who can’t even imagine that atrocities happen in war.

*Alberto Gonzales lies to Congress and while it’s nice that the good folks at Sadly No! are calling Bullshit, what might actually get something done is Inslee’s impeachment bill.

*Bill O’Reilly is crazy.

* The Discovery Institutes’s own Patrick Bell is paranoid. I’m hoping that he fills us in on the details of this conspiracy some time soon.

Use this as an open thread

I’m filling in all week for Frank Shiers, Monday through Friday, from 9PM to 1AM on Newsradio 710-KIRO. On the 9PM hour tonight Brian Robinson from Save Our Sonics and Chris Van Dyk from Citizens for More Important Things join me to talk about their odd alliance to keep the Sonics in Seattle.

Tune in tonight (or listen to the live stream) and give me a call: 1-877-710-KIRO (5476).

Darcy Burner has issued a press release challenging Rep. Dave Reichert to hold a town hall meeting during the August recess to explain to constituents his unwavering support for President Bush’s Iraq war policies:

“Doesn’t Congressman Reichert have the responsibility to stand in front of the people of his district to explain his stand on the War in Iraq? If he can vote more than a dozen times in favor of continuing and even escalating the war, can’t he talk to the voters in person just once about why he believes what he does?

“The voters deserve to hear directly from their elected representative on an issue of this magnitude, especially when the representative disagrees so strongly with the views of his constituents, as Congressman Reichert does,” Burner said. “While he is back in the district for his August vacation, I hope that this time he will not just hide from his constituents as he has done so many times in the past.”

Reichert, who has attacked Democrats for “meddling” and “politicizing” the war, has held only three town hall meetings since first being elected in 2004, and none since his reelection in 2006. Burner has consistently pledged that she would regularly meet with voters in an open and unscripted manner.

I called Reichert’s district office to ask if he had any town hall meetings, forums or public appearances coming up during the August recess, and was told that he has received invitations to events, but that there is currently nothing on his schedule.

Congressman Inslee is going to introduce a bill to kick off the impeachment process in the House for Attorney General Gonzales.

On the subject of Gonzales, here’s a good CNN.com flashback.

When Goldy asked if I wanted to help him fill an hour of his radio show Saturday night, I knew I had a good excuse to get back on the saddle (of my bike). Even if that saddle was causing some, um, soreness.

Getting out of Belltown was easy enough, except for the Torchlight Parade. I had to wait to cross, just like the Metro buses who were behind me. When I got the “all clear,” it was a mad dash to get through the intersection before the buses edged me out.

I have a feeling that Dexter Ave N is a bicyclist’s best friend. It was very a convenient route to get to South Lake Union. Which reminds me…

Be VERY careful around construction. (But you already knew that, right?) The streetcar construction made things dicey through Valley Street, and I chickened-out a bit and walked my bike across the crosswalk at Fairview. Better safe than… dead.

The stretch from Hooters up the hill to the studio was a piece of cake. I even had a chance to figure out the whole “shifting” thing. It’s all about gear ratios, right?

Finally, some questions:

For riding at night, or a less-than-optimal lighting conditions, what’s a good strategy for making sure I’m visible to idiot drivers? Are some lights better than others?

Also, while I love love LOVE my Kryptonite U-Lock, the thingy that attaches to my bike that holds my bike lock… it keeps failing me. I tried to secure it per the installation instructions, but it still moves around a bit on me when the U-Lock is attached to it. I tightened it so much that the plastic split. I’m going to have to get another one from those guys. (This’ll be the second one I’ve had to get sent to me special delivery. Those guys at Kryptonite are very understanding.) Anybody else have this problem?

State House Republicans are holding a news conference today at 1PM in Federal Way to call for a “special legislative session to address deficiencies in the state’s sex offender laws.”

What a bunch of assholes.

Or at the very least, what a bunch of idiots. I dunno, perhaps their motives are pure, but coming fresh on the heels of Zina Linnik’s murder, it sure does look like a base attempt to exploit the tragedy for political gain — and given the House Republicans’ recent bogus sex offender postcard escapade, you’d have to be an even bigger idiot to instantly give them the benefit of the doubt.

“Our state has some effective sex offender laws on the books – but others are outdated and incapable of properly protecting the public. Our goal is to identify weak laws, discuss them with the public, and collectively propose solutions,” said Priest. “There are thirteen known registered sex offenders living within five miles of where the news conference will be held – which is a public park. In King County, there are more than 400 sex offenders with no known address. This problem is everywhere and the time to act is now – not later. The forum will help all of us gauge where the public stands and take action accordingly.”

[…] “It’s clear that certain sex offenders are falling though the cracks of our system and the public wants answers and solutions – not excuses. People are demanding action now – and they deserve nothing less. That’s why we are creating a legislative package that we think the public will support,” said House Republican Leader Richard DeBolt.

Yeah, well… we could shoot them all. Cut off their balls. Make every sex offense — no matter how minor, no matter what the circumstances — a mandatory life sentence. No doubt, that’s the kind of “legislative package … the public will support.” And that’s about as comprehensive and thoughtful a package as you’re going to get in a politically charged, two-day special session, coming on the heels of this brutal murder.

Of course, the Republicans know they’re not going to get a special session, and so their grandstanding on this issue is all the more offensive. Most people looked at Zina’s murder and saw a terrible, heart wrenching tragedy. But like our good friend Stefan, the House Republican caucus looked at the murder and immediately saw a political opportunity.

Former WSRP chair Chris Vance recently offered some suggestions to state Republicans on how they might turn around their political fortunes, but he missed the most obvious piece of advice: stop being such a bunch of conniving, mean-spirited, ham-fisted assholes. Playing politics with tax cuts is one thing, but playing politics with the sexual assault and murder of a little girl is simply despicable.

Tonight on “The David Goldstein Show”, 7PM to 10PM on Newsradio 710-KIRO:

7PM: Should pharmacists be required to, um, you know… do their job?
New state rules went into effect this week requiring pharmacies to fill valid prescriptions, and several pharmacists immediately sued, claiming dispensing some forms of birth control would violate their religious beliefs. NARAL/Pro-Choice Washington Executive Direct Karen Cooper joins me for the hour to discuss this and other threats to women’s reproductive rights.

8PM: Should felons have the right to vote?
The state Supreme Court this week upheld WA’s felon voter laws, some of the most restrictive in the nation. Aaron Kaplan from the ACLU and Assistant Secretary of State Nick Handy join me to discuss what impact of laws that have permanently disenfranchised over 160,000 Washingtonians and one-quarter of the state’s African American men.

9PM: TBA

Tune in tonight (or listen to the live stream) and give me a call: 1-877-710-KIRO (5476).

PROGRAMMING NOTE:
I’ll be filling in for Frank Shiers this week, Monday through Friday, 9PM to 1AM. Join me Monday at 9PM when Brian Robinson from Save Our Sonics, and Chris Van Dyk from Citizens for More Important Things join me to discuss their strange new alliance.