PRINTER'S NO. 3209
No. 382 Session of 1998
INTRODUCED BY COLAFELLA, ITKIN, DeLUCA, TRELLO, GIGLIOTTI,
YOUNGBLOOD, ARGALL, COLAIZZO, OLASZ, MANDERINO, STABACK,
ORIE, JOSEPHS, LUCYK, MARKOSEK, ARMSTRONG, LaGROTTA, GEORGE,
TIGUE, BARRAR, CORRIGAN, TANGRETTI, DALEY, GORDNER, BELARDI,
BLAUM, MUNDY, WALKO, CASORIO, CURRY, JAROLIN, HENNESSEY,
LEDERER, MELIO, SHANER, READSHAW, VAN HORNE, FAIRCHILD,
BENNINGHOFF, MAYERNIK, SURRA, LAUGHLIN, DALLY, PETRARCA,
BEBKO-JONES, BROWNE, JAMES, DERMODY AND HERSHEY,
MARCH 18, 1998
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS,
MARCH 18, 1998
A RESOLUTION
1 Memorializing the Attorney General to investigate the tremendous
2 price increases in generic drugs that have been proposed by
3 Mylan Laboratories, Inc., and to coordinate the investigation
4 with the United States Attorney General and the Federal Trade
5 Commission.
6 WHEREAS, Prices charged for certain generic pharmaceutical
7 drugs have risen significantly over the last few years; and
8 WHEREAS, For example, Mylan Laboratories, Inc., a Pittsburgh-
9 based maker of generic prescription drugs, increased the
10 wholesale price charged to independent pharmacies for 1,000 1 mg
11 pills of the widely used tranquilizer lorazepam (Ativan) from
12 approximately $7 to about $300, representing an increase of
13 4,300%; and
14 WHEREAS, Senior citizens purchase 35% of prescription drugs
15 in the United States; and
1 WHEREAS, The PACE and PACENET programs provide pharmaceutical
2 coverage for more than 260,000 senior citizens in Pennsylvania;
3 and
4 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth's medical assistance program
5 provides pharmaceutical coverage for more than 1.3 million low-
6 income Pennsylvanians; and
7 WHEREAS, Thousands of employers who provide drug prescription
8 plans to their employees are impacted by the increased costs
9 paid for prescription drugs through their plans; and
10 WHEREAS, The drastic increase in these pharmaceuticals
11 affects most taxpayers in this Commonwealth; therefore be it
12 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives memorialize the
13 Attorney General to investigate the tremendous price increases
14 in generic drugs that have been proposed by Mylan Laboratories,
15 Inc., in this Commonwealth and to coordinate the investigation
16 with the United States Attorney General and the Federal Trade
17 Commission.
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