Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) is a trade body of the pharmaceutical industry of the United States. It is one of the largest and most influencial lobbying organizations in Washington. Representing 48 pharmaceutical companies, PhRMA has 20 registered lobbyists on staff and has contracted with dozens of lobby and PR firms -- including Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, Barbour Griffith & Rogers, DCI Group, The Dutko Group [1] (http://thehill.com/business/112404.aspx), Edelman and Bonner & Associates -- to promote its members' interests. PhRMA has a record of hiding its lobbying and PR activities, often by paying other organizations, such as United Seniors Association (USA) or the Consumer Alliance, to advocate industry-friendly policies.

"PhRMA Appears to Have Funneled Up to $41 Million To "Stealth PACs" to Help Elect a Drug Industry-Friendly Congress" according to a Sept. 2004 report published by stealthpacs.org (http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=1789).

On its website PhRMA state its "mission is winning advocacy for public policies that encourage the discovery of life-saving and life-enhancing new medicines for patients by pharmaceutical/biotechnology research companies.

"To accomplish this mission, PhRMA is dedicated to achieving in Washington, DC, the states and the world:

• "Broad patient access to safe and effective medicines through a free market, without price controls,
• "Strong intellectual property incentives, and
• "Transparent, efficient, regulation and a free flow of information to patients."[2] (http://www.phrma.org/whoweare/)

The February 2003 issue of the AARP Bulletin reported: "Three nonprofit organizations that claim to speak for older Americans are in fact heavily bankrolled by the pharmaceutical industry, an examination of tax records by the AARP Bulletin shows. United Seniors Association, for example, got more than a third of its funds in 2001 from drug-industry sources. The big donors included Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the industry's trade association; Citizens for Better Medicare, a PhRMA-funded nonprofit group; and Pfizer Inc. Total industry contributions: at least $3.1 million."

PhRMA lobbying activities have extended outside of the United States. "America's big drug companies are intensifying their lobbying efforts to 'change the Canadian health-care system' and eliminate subsidized prescription drug prices enjoyed by Canadians," CanWest News Service reported on June 9, 2003. "A prescription drug industry spokesman in Washington confirmed to CanWest News Service that information contained in confidential industry documents is accurate and that $1 million US is being added to the already heavily funded drug lobby against the Canadian system." PhRMA was the leading drug industry trade group behind the increased lobbying and PR campaign. PhRMA was also independently spending $450,000 to target the booming Canadian Internet pharmacy industry, which has been providing Americans with prescription drugs at lower prices than in the United States.

In June 2004, PhRMA teamed up with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Psychiatric Association "to demonstrate the cost of depression in the workplace and to show employers that treating affected workers would improve the bottom line." The three groups endorsed a "depression calculator," which allows employers to estimate the effect of untreated depression on their company's profits, through absenteeism and low productivity. The calculator also figures "how much the business would save if employees were treated."[3] (http://thehill.com/business/060804_depression.aspx) The Arizona-based "health-care consulting firm" The HSM Group organized the calculator's public "introduction." At the press conference unveiling the calculator, PhRMA's senior vice president for policy, research and strategic planning, Richard Smith, said: "A depressed employee is less productive or absent for 30 to 50 days a year. ... The person's medical costs are $2,000 to $3,000 more than other employees."[4] (http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031775927752&path=!business&s=1045855934855)

Personnel

• Christopher Badgley: Vice President, State Government Affairs
• Russel A. Bantham: Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President
• Edward Belkin: Vice President, Communications
• Rodger Currie: Senior Vice President, Federal Affairs and Law
• Joseph Damond: Associate Vice President International
• Elise Deschenes: Director, Federal Affairs
• Susan Finstom: Assistant Vice President, International and Intellectual Property
• Mark Grayson: Senior Director, Strategic Communications
• Shannon S. S. Herzfeld: Senior Vice President, International
• Alan F. Holmer: President and Chief Executive Officer
• Anne Holmes: PAC Contact and Senior Manager, Federal Affairs
• Wendy L. Krasner: Deputy Vice President, Policy
• Bruce Kuhlik: Senior Vice President and General Counsel
• William L. Lucas: Associate Vice President, State Government Affairs
• Kurt Malmgren: Senior Vice President, Government Affairs and Alliance Development
• David T. Mohler: Deputy Vice President, Federal Affairs
• Rick Stein: Director, Federal Affairs (Stein was previously a senior aide to Republican Senator Rick Santorum; his position was formerly held by Scott Olsen)
• Lori Reilly: Deputy Vice President, Policy
• Richard "Rick" Smith: Senior Vice President, Policy and Strategic Communications
• Derrick White: Associate Director, Federal Affairs

Contact

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
1100 15th St. NW, Suite 900
Washington, DC 20005
Telephone: 202-835-3400
Fax: 202-835-3414
Website: www.phrma.org

External Links

• Klaus Marre, "PhRMA, Chamber team up to reduce worker depression (http://thehill.com/business/060804_depression.aspx)," The Hill, June 8, 2004.
• Nicholas Confessore, "Meet the Press: How James Glassman reinvented journalism--as lobbying" (http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2003/0312.confessore.html), Washington Monthly, December 2003.
• Sheryl Gay Stolberg, "Drug Lobby Pushed Letter By Senators On Medicare" (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50E11F93D5A0C738FDDAE0894DB404482), New York Times, July 30, 2003, p. A15.
• Jim VandeHei and Juliet Eilperin, "Drug Firms Gain Church Group's Aid Claim About Import Measure Stirs Anger" (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A31678-2003Jul22&notFound=true), Washington Post, July 23, 2003, p. A1.
• Tim Craig, "Community Leaders Decry Lobby Firm's Fax" (http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0309-04.htm), Baltimore Sun, March 9, 2002.
• Peter H. Stone, "PhRMA Fights Back" (http://bernie.house.gov/documents/articles/2001-07-21-nat_journal-Rx_Drugs.asp), National Journal, July 21, 2001.
• Julian Borger, "USA: The Pharmaceutical Industry Stalks the Corridors of Power" (http://www.corpwatch.org/news/PND.jsp?articleid=178), Guardian Unlimited, February 13, 2001
• Robert Pear, "Ex-Rep. Tauzin to be lobbyist for drug firms: High-paid job for chief writer of Medicare change raises questions (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/203931_lobby16.html)", Seattle Post Intelligencer, December 16, 2004. (This is a syndicated New York Times article).
• Judy Sarasohn, "Tauzin to Head Drug Trade Group (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3504-2004Dec15.html)", Washington Post, December 16, 2004.
• Public Citizen, "Rep. Billy Tauzin Demonstrates That Washington's “Revolving Door” Is Spinning Out of Control (http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=1842): Public Citizen Calls for a Change in Ethics and Lobbying Rules", Media Release, December 15, 2004.

Note: portions of this article were taken from a corresponding article on the Disinfopedia (http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Pharmaceutical_Research_and_Manufacturers_of_America).