The Safe Patient Project is a Consumers Union campaign focused on eliminating medical harm, improving FDA oversight of prescription drugs and promoting disclosure laws that give information to consumers about health care safety and quality.
I had spinal decompression, laminectomy and 3 level lumbar fusion, performed by 2 neurosurgeons at the largest hospital in my state. Four days after discharge to my home 75 miles away, I started to have a fever and pussy discharge from main incision. I was admitted to local hospital which did appropriate cultures, finding that I had M.R.S.A, a potentially deadly infection.
Vermont
State Disclosure Reports
Consumers Union Documents
- State Hospital Infection Public Reporting Laws
Summary of state laws hospital infection reporting laws.
- Requiring Drug Companies to Disclose Marketing Expenditures to Physicians
Drug marketing emphasizes the latest and most expensive drugs even though these drugs may not be the best in their category according to the medical evidence.
- Fact Sheet: Disclosing Relationships Between Pharmacy Benefit Managers and Drug Companies
In recent years, PBMs have been accused of failing to act in the best interests of their clients.
Consumers Union News Releases
- Reporting infections improves patient safety
New Pennsylvania study shows 8 percent drop in hospital acquired infections between 2006 and 2007.
- Legislation shields medical error information but will not interfere with state mandatory reporting laws.
In 2004, Consumers Union worked with others around the country to ensure that legislation being considered by Congress would not prevent state laws that required public disclosure of hospital-specific infection rates. The bill has now been reintroduced and keeps the language that will permit states to require publication of hospital-specific infection rates.
Blog Posts
- Activists speak out at Presidential health care forum
Your stories matter. We are listening—and we’re getting those at the highest levels of government to listen, too.
- New bill introduced in Senate: Drug co’s must report how much they pay docs
Last week Senator Grassley of Iowa introduced The Physician Payments Sunshine Act in the Senate that would require drug companies to…
- Pfizer white coats, why not?
At a U.S. Senate Aging hearing today concerns were raised on doctors’ financial ties to drug companies ($19 billion in ties). One witness even said, “we have reached the point where it would be more convenient for speakers to simply wear NASCAR-style jackets emblazoned with their sponsor’s logos.”
News Articles
- What do patients want? And why it matters for Sunshine
This Community Catalyst blog discusses the Physician Payments Sunshine Act passed in the health care reform legislation. It creates a national public website where drug and device companies will report payments and gifts to doctors. Consumers will be able to search the site.
- VT: Drug Samples Thorny Issue at Statehouse Source: NLARx (Monday April 26, 2010)
The Vermont health care bill provision requiring drug companies to report when they give free medication samples to doctors is being misinterpreted as a ban on all free samples.
- Medical Error Survey for Patients
This survey was created for patients who have experienced medical harm, their loved ones and their advocates. This survey was created by the Empowered Patient Coalition and we have jointly published this survey on our websites. This survey is designed to answer questions that are important to patients. This is a way for patients to report their experience as they have lived it, and to know that their report will be counted.The Empowered Patient Coalition will be entering the events annonymously on a map so you can see your error and others in your state by clciking on the map.
- Vermont Enacts Sweeping Gift Ban; Affects Drug, Device, Biologics Manufacturers Source: NLARX (Monday May 11, 2009)
A bill passed by the Vermont House and Senate will close the loopholes in the state’s existing gift disclosure law by requiring full disclosure of allowable gifts to physicians, health care organizations, non-profit groups and state-funded academic institutions.
- Supreme Court rules against Wyeth in liability case Source: Reuters (Wednesday March 4, 2009)
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the drugmaker Wyeth, holding that pharmaceutical companies can be held liable for harm from medicines that carry warnings approved by federal regulators.
- Vermont: Officials say patients must be vigilant to control infections Source: VT Public Radio (Monday August 18, 2008)
Hospital officials say doctors and their patients need to be constantly vigilant to prevent infections, especially from those caused by new strains of drug resistant bacteria.
- Vermont lawmakers consider tracking infections Source: Montpelier Times Argus (Thursday May 5, 2005)
A group of Vermont residents who have suffered from hospital infections told their stories at a recent hearing on legislation that would require public disclosure of infection rates.
Research and Reports
- State Tackles Winnable Battle with Innovative Acute and Long-Term Care Partnership
Vermont is taking on an exciting new project to prove that preventing healthcare-associated infections is a “winnable battle.”