FARMINGTON – University of Maine at Farmignton student Chris Jones has accepted an independent study internship with Prescription Policy Choices (PPC), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to improve access to safe and affordable medicine and reduce prescription drug costs in the U.S.
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As part of his coursework for a Social Accountability class offered through UMF’s Political Science Department, Chris will work with PPC’s executive director, Ann Woloson, to research and highlight issues related to the use of antipsychotic drugs in children. One of these drugs, Geodon, was the focus of the U.S. Justice Department’s recent $2.3 billion settlement with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, which alleged Pfizer promoted the use of several of its drugs for unapproved purposes, paying illegal kickbacks including cash, high-priced dinners and weekend getaway to induce prescribers to prescribe certain drugs, even if safer, more effective products may be on the market.
“While prescribing for unapproved or off-label use is legal and merited in some cases, drug companies are not allowed to promote drugs for such purposes. The industry’s relentless strategy of off-label promotion is shameful, especially when it’s targeted at the most vulnerable of patients including children and the elderly,” as was the case in this settlement, Woloson said. “Chris is the second UMF student to intern at PPC and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to include him and benefit from his skills as we work on this important issue.”
The project, initially funded with a grant from the Sadie and Harry Davis Foundation and the Endowment for Health, does not seek to limit access to necessary medication. Rather, it seeks to prevent unnecessary use of drugs that can cause severe, lifelong side effects and health problems in children into adulthood. “The bottom line,” said Woloson, “is parents and caregivers should be made fully aware of the risks associated with these drugs and talk with their doctors about alternatives as well as the safety and effectiveness of any drugs their kids are prescribed.”
