NJPIRG’s drug safety campaign picked up speed this autumn. Sen. Barbara Buono introduced the Prescription Drug Right-to-Know Act in the state Senate, and a few Assembly Members joined Assemblyman Dr. Conaway as the co-sponsors of the companion legislation.

Two patient groups, the Alliance for the Betterment of Citizens with Disabilities and the Hemophilia Association, joined our coalition to help pass the bill.

The Prescription Drug Right-to- Know Act would require drug marketers to register all of their clinical drug trials and results on the Internet. This registration prevents drug marketers from hiding or misrepresenting negative clinical trial data, ensuring that doctors and patients have access to all the relevant safety information.

“Doctors and patients should know about a drug’s track record upfront, not after it has been prescribed,” said Abigail Field, NJPIRG’s legislative advocate. “Patients have a right to know about a drug’s safety record from the start.”

The medical establishment agrees. The American Medical Association, the Institute of Medicine and the World Health Organization have all called for trials and results to be made publicly available