NPR Examines Oregon Program That Compares Safety, Efficacy of Prescription Drugs

NPR's "Morning Edition" on Nov. 25 reported on Oregon's prescription drug guide, an initiative implemented by Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) to address rising prescription drug costs (Foden-Vencil, "Morning Edition," NPR, 11/25). In August 2001, Kitzhaber signed a law that created a panel of medical experts to study medical literature about classes of drugs to determine which treatment "is the most effective in its class" and to release the findings to the public. Under the law, the state will "discourage" physicians in the Oregon Health Plan, which covers 260,000 Medicaid beneficiaries and 90,000 other low-income residents, from prescribing a drug that "is more expensive but not more effective" than the treatment recommended by the panel (Kaiser Daily health Policy Report, 8/1/2001). The Oregon Health Resources Commission contracted with the Evidence-Based Practice Center of the Oregon Health & Science University to create the guide, which compares the safety and efficacy of four classes of prescription medications: pain, anti-ulcer and heartburn, cholesterol-lowering and anti-inflammatory (Oregon's Concerned Advocacy Team release, 11/25). According to Kitzhaber, physicians do not have "necessary, unbiased drug comparison studies to help them make choices that are both medically sound and cost effective." To ensure that all Oregonians have access to the information, AARP Oregon provides a link on its Web site to the guide. AARP Oregon spokesperson Virginia Garrison said the guide received a "remarkable" response, with approximately 18,000 hits within the first six weeks of publication on the association's Web site. However, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America lobbyist James Gardner called the reports "misleading," especially when they claim that drugs in a category are "clinically identical." Gardner added that choosing a prescription "on the basis of price alone isn't a good idea" ("Morning Edition," NPR, 11/25). The full NPR segment will be available in RealPlayer Audio after noon ET online.