Pharmaceutical Industry

Prescription Data Law Struck Down

A New Hampshire law barring the commercial use of prescription data has been struck down on First Amendment grounds.

A federal judge agreed with the arguments of IMS Health and Verispan, which sued to block the law, dubbed the Prescription Privacy Protection Act. The law, which took effect last August, was aimed at keeping prescription data out of the hands of pharma manufacturers and crippling detailing efforts.

The decision could forestall a gathering wave of state-level legislation aimed at stymieing drug reps by restricting companies’ access to data.

John Kamp, executive director of the Coalition of Healthcare Communications said the judge in the case appropriately focused on the fact that the New Hampshire Legislature wanted to reduce the sale of branded drugs.

Kamp added the case was not only about New Hampshire but it was also about New Hampshire wannabes in other jurisdictions.

The overturning of the New Hampshire law throws ice on top of any other state, including the federal government, looking to enact look-alike bills, Kamp said.

By Matthew Arnold, from Medical Marketing & Media, June 2007