Two commentaries appeared in Friday's Gazette, both praising the state Senate's demotion of a bold House of Delegates plan to let West Virginians save $500 million a year by buying prescription drugs at low federal prices. One bore the name of Dr. Lester Labus of Hurricane, president of the West Virginia Academy of Family Physicians. The other bore the name of Senate Health Chairman Roman Prezioso, D-Marion.

Later Friday, Delegate Dan Foster, D-Kanawha - a physician who supports the House version - told a House-Senate conference committee that he telephoned Dr. Labus and was informed that his article actually was written by high-paid pharmaceutical lobbyists who are besieging the Legislature.

Also, Gazette Statehouse reporter Phil Kabler related that Sen. Prezioso's words come partly from John Brown, state lobbyist for PhRMA (Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association), the national drug industry lobby. "At least three paragraphs of Brown's March 8 letter to House members and Prezioso's March 9 letter are identical," Kabler said. "Other references are similar." Prezioso's commentary was delivered to the Gazette by Wanda Moebius, PhRMA's national communications chief.

These disclosures show the intensity of the big-money lobbying effort being showered on the Legislature by the pharmaceutical industry, which is desperate to block passage of the landmark House proposal.

The chief objection to the House plan is that drug companies would file lawsuits and keep West Virginia tied up in courts for years, preventing residents from enjoying the $500 million price cut. In contrast, the Senate plan involves immediate voluntary discounts from manufacturers - but opponents say the discounts are minor and limited to few West Virginians.

Covenant House's health adviser urged that both features be incorporated into the compromise bill being drafted by House-Senate conferees. We have supported this notion, because it would provide the voluntary discounts immediately, and also offer hope of $500 million savings if the manufacturer lawsuits were defeated.

We hope such a compromise can be passed in these final hours of the 2004 regular session. Meanwhile, big-money pharmaceutical lobbyists are going to extreme lengths to prevent it.

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