The Druggies: Surprise surprise - it has been revealed Drug companies tried to get rid of Helen Clark when she was health minister.
And furthermore the leaked US Embassy cables claim that one major drug firm so strongly objected to restrictive drug buying rules that it lobbied against New Zealand getting a Free Trade Agreement with the US.
The cables also reveal that the drug industry changed tactics in trying to get us to change our drug pricing policy. Instead of directly lobbying the Government, the embassy was told of plans to agitate patients by providing them with information about drugs that weren't available. It would "educate New Zealanders."
Medicines NZ chief executive officer Denise Wood said the industry had changed from six years ago. Yeah right!
