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BIO Comments On White House Letter On Biosimilars
Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) President and CEO Jim Greenwood issued the following statement regarding the letter sent yesterday from the Obama Administration to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman regarding biosimilars:
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Appeals Court Upholds Massachusetts Law Establishing Protest-Free Zone Around Abortion Clinics
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit on Wednesday ruled that a 2007 Massachusetts law requiring antiabortion-rights protesters to stay at least 35 feet away from clinic entrances does not infringe on their free speech rights, the Boston Globe reports. The law updated a 2000 statute that established a floating buffer zone, which police and clinics said was difficult to enforce. The 2007 law set a fixed 35-foot buffer zone around any reproductive health care facility and barred anyone from entering or remaining in the zone unless they work at the clinic; are entering or leaving the facility; are public safety or other municipal officials; or are walking by. Five abortion-rights opponents filed the lawsuit in January 2008. U.S. District Judge Joseph Tauro rejected their claims in August 2008, ruling that the law did not regulate speech -- only the location where the speech could occur -- and that it was drafted in response to safety and law enforcement concerns. The protesters appealed the ruling.The appeals court said that the 2007 law responded to "repeated incidents involving violence and other unduly aggressive behaviors in the vicinity of reproductive health care facilities" and "represents a permissible response by the Massachusetts Legislature to what it reasonably perceived as a significant threat to public safety." The court also said that the law was "content-neutral," as it applies to all protesters regardless of their viewpoints. According to the court, the plaintiffs argued in their appeal that the law had a "content-neutral patina" masking a "more sinister reality" that the Legislature"s true motive was to curb abortion-rights opponents" speech.Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) in a statement said that she was "pleased that the 1st Circuit has upheld this important law, which enhances public safety and access to medical facilities, while preserving the right to engage in expressive activity on public ways and sidewalks near clinics." Tim Chandler, legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, which helped represent the plaintiffs, said abortion-rights opponents "shouldn"t be penalized for expressing their beliefs." He added that the fund and its supporters were evaluating the "next legal step" (Finucane, Boston Globe, 7/10).
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Healthcare Reform Expert And Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle To Address NACDS Pharmacy & Technology Conference
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) announced former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) as this year"s keynote speaker at the NACDS Pharmacy and Technology Conference. Senator Daschle will speak on Sunday, August 9, 2009, at the Business Program to be held from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m.
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Doctors And Patients Welcome Older People Health Debate By Local Politicians, Northern Ireland

The British Medical Association in Northern Ireland (BMA(NI)) and members of its Patient Liaison Group welcomed the Northern Ireland Assembly debate on "Health Provision for Older People", which had previously been postponed. Dr Brian Patterson, Chairman of the BMA"s Northern Ireland Council said, "We are pleased that local politicians have instigated this debate within the Assembly. We firmly believe that older people should have equal access to specialist treatment and be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. "We have long insisted that services for older people should be person-centred and properly red in terms of both staff and funding. Healthcare for older people should be easily accessible and appropriate to an individual"s needs, irrespective of where they live". Steve McBride, Chairman of the Long Term Conditions Alliance and member of the BMA(NI)"s Patient Liaison Group echoed these sentiments, saying, "It is good that MLAs are taking forward such a bread and butter issue. As the proportion of people aged 65 and over continues to rise, the levels of chronic diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, stroke and dementia, to name but a few, will also increase. "It is therefore essential that high standards of effective healthcare for older people are enhanced now to ameliorate the strain that the increase in these diseases will put on a finitely-red healthcare system". Much care for older people is provided by unpaid carers, such as family and friends. Christine Best, Chief Executive of Crossroads Caring for Carers and member of the BMA(NI)"s Patient Liaison Group highlighted the importance of carers, saying "Demographic changes, such as greater geographical separation between older people and their families, will result in decreasing levels of informal care and an increasing need for professional health and social care. "We would welcome full implementation of the Caring for Carers strategy, and hope that this debate highlights the important role that carers play in our society". British Medical Association Northern Ireland


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