How do you define the right to free speech? Some would argue it means being allowed to say what you believe, even when it's not popular. Others would say it means getting a good look at what kind of prescriptions that your doctor has given you. At least, that's the argument being made in a Supreme Court case today, in which company IMS Health will make a case for allowing pharmaceutical companies to get a gander at just what kind of prescriptions you're picking up at the pharmacy for marketing purposes.
Adam Liptak, Supreme Court Correspondent for our partner The New York Times says explains the free speech argument.
William Sorrell, State Attorney General for Vermont, who petitioned the Supreme Court to hear the case also joins us to explain why he is fighting to restrict the pharmaceutical industry from accessing doctor records for the purposes of marketing to them.
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Comments [1]
First, it's an invasion of the prescriber's privacy.
Second, it does drive up the cost of drugs because IMS and the participating pharmacies are not doing this for free. Third, it is a form of harassment because it targets specific physicians (mostly high prescribers) and these physicians are hounded by pharmaceutical representatives from competing companies.
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