Prescription Drug Safety Bill Stalls in California State Senate

Like other measures, the bill was held in the Senate Appropriations committee and never made it to the Senate floor for a full vote. Despite minimal state costs included in the legislation and later amendments clarifying that the bill wouldn’t impose any state costs at all, the measure sat stalled.

The lobbying of the pharmaceutical industry certainly played a leading role in the bill’s failure. While legislative deadlines will prevent this specific bill from moving forward, we and the coalition who supported this measure are considering other avenues to keep the issue alive.

We understand that the pharmaceutical industry would rather not come clean by making public their health studies, but sunshine is the best disinfectant. We’re grateful for Senator Scott’s commitment to this issue and will keep working to give legislators another opportunity to do the right thing by passing a drug safety bill this year.

In addition to CALPIRG, the measure was also supported by the California Labor Federation/AFL-CIO, California Nurses Association, AARP California, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Consumers Union, Health Access, Older Women’s League, Gray Panthers, Greenlining Institute, Senior Action Network, Congress of California Seniors, California Alliance for Retired Americans and the OURx Bill of Rights Coalition.

Emily Clayton is a CALPIRG Education Fund Health Care Advocate.
CALPIRG Education Fund is an independent voice for Californians. When corporate wrongdoing threatens our health and safety or violates fundamental principles of fairness and justice, CALPIRG Education Fund stands up for California consumers. We conduct investigative research, publish reports and exposés and, when necessary, take corporate wrongdoers to court.