<LPBBIHBPMJNIMFNDEDNOMELHCGAA.scott.hillstrom@analyticorp.co.nz>
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E-drug: Re: Germany's 45 000 drugs - all needed? (cont'd)
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Joel,
Perhaps people who understand how drug companies engage in practices
inimical to the public health and free competition could share their views.
In the US, such behavior exposes perpetrators to class action lawsuits.
The
tobacco litigation is best known but there are others too. Where companies
interfere with the free dissemination of accurate information about their
products or, worse yet, where they use intimidation, there may be claims
grounded in anti-trust law (which punishes anti-competitive practices--e.g.
Microsoft) and consumer protection laws (which protect the public health
and
pocketbook). Government cannot exercise meaningful regulation of most
industries because there is just too much going on. But thousands of class
action lawyers are willing to fill the gap. They often do unpleasant
things
but, in cases like these, they may do some good.
Whether this is any help in Aussie I can't say. But there are definitely
opportunities to bring large abusive companies to heel in the US. It only
requires experts who understand what is going on to come forward.
Scott Hillstrom
President, Cry for the World Foundation
e-mail: scott.hillstrom@analyticorp.co.nz
[I copied your affiliation from a previous message. Please remember to put
your affiliation. KM, moderator]
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