[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15276]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   ADVERTISING FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

  Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, I will comment for a couple of minutes 
on the very fine statement the leader made in regard to the advertising 
for prescription drugs. I think he made a clear statement and sends a 
large message to the drug companies that they have to reevaluate their 
advertising campaign. The statement confirms the fact to the American 
people that we are paying more for drugs because of those advertising 
costs.
  I think it is particularly appropriate for us to be raising this 
issue at this time because this year millions of Americans--Medicare-
eligible people--are going to be signing up to take advantage of the 
prescription drug benefits of the Medicare Modernization Act. It is 
very important that while they are signing up and taking advantage of 
this new opportunity--an opportunity that I think will make the largest 
improvement in public health since the advent of the Medicare Program--
they don't just willy-nilly have drugs prescribed for them that they 
may or may not need.
  I think one other point needs to be made, and that is, in this era in 
which we live, we all have to be our own best friend. At one time, I 
took Vioxx. I called my pharmacist and discussed other drugs I was 
taking. He told me Vioxx contributed to an increase in blood pressure. 
I was taking other drugs to bring down my blood pressure. I decided 
voluntarily that this doesn't make sense and I got off Vioxx. I lost 10 
pounds. Now, once in a while when I have arthritic pain, I take a 
Motrin. But the fact is that all of us Members of Congress and the 
ordinary public have to pay a lot more attention to the drugs we are 
taking because, as the leader said, the side effects are significant 
and we have to be careful about it.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Alaska is 
recognized.

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