On her terrific Health Beat blog, Maggie Mahar reports:
A couple of weeks ago Dr. Alicia Fernandez, an associate professor of clinical medicine at UC San Francisco, received a very unusual letter from The International Association of EMTS and Paramedics, an affiliate of The National Association of Government Employees (IAEP/SEIU).The letter began by noting that Fernandez is part of the union’s approved physician network, and then launched into what can only be described as a shameless sales pitch for Lipitor, Pfizer’s blockbuster cholesterol-lowering drug.
First, the alarming statistics presented in the letter:
* 1 in 3 adults has some form of CVD (cardio-vascular disease)
* About every 26 seconds, an American will suffer a coronary event
* Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States
* Every 45 seconds, someone will suffer a stroke.Then, the endorsement: “Lipitor is available to our members through their prescription plan. IAEP leadership stands behind LIPITOR as the lipid-lowering agent of choice when it is prescribed by a physician. This confidence in LIPITOR is based on its proven efficacy and is supported by its vast clinical experience of more than 15 years…"
The letter went on, at length, to praise Lipitor’s benefits and to downplay the drug’s risks. In clinical trials, the letter states, “the most common adverse events were constipation, flatulence, dyspepsia and abdominal pain.” But while other risks may not be as “common” they are certainly worth mentioning. They include memory loss which can look like Alzheimer’s and severe muscle pain.
A few days ago, Fernandez received a second, identical letter. Never before in her professional experience had she received a drug ad from a union.
“I’ve never seen anything like this. I’ve never seen Labor endorse a drug product,” she told me. “This is incredible.” Unfortunately, Fernandez adds, this is not the first time that she has seen a drug company use a progressive organization to promote its product. ...
Why would Pfizer need the union’s help in peddling its drug? Lipitor, after all, is the best-selling drug in the world, with sales of almost $13 billion in 2006.
But recently, Lipitor has been attracting some decidedly negative publicity.
Read her blog for the rest of the entry. Drug promotion becomes curiouser and curiouser.
Posted by schwitz at March 21, 2008 07:40 AM | TrackBackMs. Mahar should have contacted us.
SEIU Does NOT Endorse Lipitor or Any Other Product
Full disclosure - I work for SEIU.
Official Statement from SEIU:
Recently, a letter appearing to endorse a well-known pharmaceutical was circulated by the International Association of EMTS and Paramedics, an affiliate of the National Association of Government Employees (IAEP/SEIU).
SEIU does not endorse products. The letter was generated by a Local Union staff member unfamiliar with SEIU's policy against any product endorsement. Upon learning of the letter, the Local disavowed a relationship with the product in keeping with the union's policy.
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The 1.9 million member Service Employees International Union is united by the belief in the dignity and worth of workers and the services they provide and dedicated to improving the lives of workers and their families and creating a more just and humane society.
SEIU members are winning better wages, health care, and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers, not just corporations and CEOs, benefit from today's global economy.
Posted by: Michelle Ringuette at March 27, 2008 11:46 PMI'm not going to speak for Maggie Mahar.
She speaks for herself in a new entry on her blog.
Read her blog to get her side.
http://www.healthbeatblog.org/2008/03/the-president-o.html
Posted by: The Publisher at March 28, 2008 02:46 PMSometimes our decisions just come down to choosing the lesser evil. Informed people should read between the lines when they see a sales pitch to buy Lipitor or any other drug.
Posted by: Carlos Obregon at April 2, 2008 04:51 PM