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March 9, 2022


Title: Purdue Pharma to Pay $6 BILLION
Topic: Opioid Epidemic in America
Discussed by Peter Pitts
with The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (www.CMPI.org)

Peter Pitts is the current President of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest and a former Food and Drug Administration Associate Commissioner.

Today Peter discusses the recent agreement by Purdue Pharma, the maker of the painkiller OxyContin, to pay $6 BILLION to settle a series of lawsuits over its role in fueling the nationwide opioid epidemic.

Click here for more information on the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest.

Questions/Issues Discussed:

Who is to blame for the national opioid epidemic?

Does the $6 BILLION settlement agreement squash all further lawsuit attempts? Peter explains that Purdue Pharma should be exempt from future lawsuits, but others may not be.

Can drug dealers (criminals) be held responsible for addictions?

Will pharmaceutical companies that made the generic equivalent of OxyContin be held responsible? Peter believes they will be, but they don’t have deep pockets like Purdue Pharma.

How can we help people who are suffering from addiction to OxyContin?

Why did Purdue Pharma agree to pay $6 BILLION? Why didn’t they pull OxyContin off the shelves when they first realized it was so addicting and ruining lives?



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May 20, 2020


Title: Coronavirus: What Treatments Work?
Topic: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ)
Discussed by Peter Pitts
with The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (www.CMPI.org)

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in people and many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Rarely do animal coronaviruses infect people and then spread from person to person.

Peter Pitts is the President and co-founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. Today, he discusses details of the Coronavirus that you may not have heard, including some of the treatments available.

Peter was the FDA’s Associate Commissioner for External Relations, serving as Senior Communications and Policy Adviser to the Commissioner from 2002-2004.

Click here for more.

Questions/Issues Discussed:

Is there a family of coronaviruses?

What was SARS? Where did it originate? Where did it spread? Peter Pitts discusses more later in the segment…

Did the Coronavirus begin in China? Or was it manufactured in America and sent to China? Peter Pitts says: “People who are saying that should take off their tinfoil hats.”

Have Americans been overwhelmingly reliant on pharmaceuticals made in China? Peter points out that 90% off all the prescription drugs consumed by Americans are not manufactured in the US.

Does the FDA have the funds and man-power to randomly inspect all the prescription drug companies across the world?

Why are some doctors across the world using hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to treat the Coronavirus?

Should President Trump do less press conference and allow the experts to give the information?

IIs there a worldwide epidemic of medicine counterfeiting occurring now? Click here  to order your copy of “Coincidence or Crisis”, a discussion of global prescription medicine counterfeiting.



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May 12, 2020


Title: Hydroxychloroquine: Why Won’t the FDA Approve it?
Topic: Coronavirus
Discussed by Peter Pitts
with The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (www.CMPI.org)

Why won’t the FDA approve the use of Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) outside a hospital setting? What’s the big secret? Are some doctors/clinics/nursing homes prescribing it anyway?

Peter Pitts is the President and co-founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. Peter is also the author of Common Sense Healthcare Policy for Common Sense Americans (and Presidential Candidates).

Questions/Issues Discussed:

What responsibilities did Peter Pitts have as the former FDA Associate Commissioner?

Does the FDA perform its own testing with control groups? Or do they just trust the pharmaceutical company to tell the truth?

Does the FDA only regulate a drugs approval – not the actual “drug prescribing”? What does this mean?

Has the FDA ever allowed off-label use of a pharmaceutical drug in the US? Is off-label use so common that virtually every drug is used off-label in some circumstances?

Has the FDA ever issued an emergency use authorization telling doctors and/or pharmacists “do not issue this drug in a non-hospital setting”? Peter explains the “emergency use authorization”




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April 15, 2020


Title: Coronavirus: What Treatments Work?
Topic: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ)
Discussed by Peter Pitts
with The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (www.CMPI.org)

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in people and many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Rarely do animal coronaviruses infect people and then spread from person to person.

Peter Pitts is the President and co-founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. Today, he discusses details of the Coronavirus that you may not have heard, including some of the treatments available.

Peter was the FDA’s Associate Commissioner for External Relations, serving as Senior Communications and Policy Adviser to the Commissioner from 2002-2004.

CClick here for more.

Questions/Issues Discussed:

Is there a family of coronaviruses?

WWhat was SARS? Where did it originate? Where did it spread? Peter Pitts discusses more later in the segment…

Did the Coronavirus begin in China? Or was it manufactured in America and sent to China? Peter Pitts says: “People who are saying that should take off their tinfoil hats.”

Have Americans been overwhelmingly reliant on pharmaceuticals made in China? Peter points out that 90% off all the prescription drugs consumed by Americans are not manufactured in the US. br />
Does the FDA have the funds and man-power to randomly inspect all the prescription drug companies across the world?

Why are some doctors across the world using hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to treat the Coronavirus?

Should President Trump do less press conference and allow the experts to give the information?

IIs there a worldwide epidemic of medicine counterfeiting occurring now? Click here  to order your copy of “Coincidence or Crisis”, a discussion of global prescription medicine counterfeiting.



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September 20, 2019


Title: Prescription Drug Safety and Costs
Topic: Prescription Drug Safety
Discussed by Peter Pitts
with The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (www.CMPI.org)


Part 1 of 3

In his new book, “Common Sense Health Policy for Common Sense Americans (and Presidential Candidates)”, Peter Pitts pleads for sanity and stresses it’s time to put away unworkable soundbite solutions.

Questions/Issues Discussed:

Do polls indicate that voters have serious concerns about the future of medical insurance and medical care in America?

Is there a difference between having insurance and receiving timely, quality, affordable care?

Will a “Medicare For All” program work in America?



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Title: Part 2 of 3 - Prescription Drug Safety and Costs
Topic: Prescription Drug Safety
Discussed by Peter Pitts
with The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (www.CMPI.org)

Questions/Issues Discussed:

What are the three ideas behind Nancy Pelosi’s HR3?

Who pays less for prescription drugs: Americans or Canadians?

What is the International Pricing Index?

The majority of Research and Development (R&D) happens right here in America. Is the cost for R&D passed along to the people buying the prescriptions?




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Title: Part 3 of 3 - Prescription Drug Safety and Costs
Topic: Prescription Drug Safety
Discussed by Peter Pitts
with The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (www.CMPI.org)

Questions/Issues Discussed:

Should the US government directly negotiate the price for a prescription drug?

Should rebates be used to off-set price hikes?

Should the US just re-import prescription drugs from countries like Canada? Where did these drugs “really” come from? HINT: Probably China!!!

How do we succeed in advancing the quality and accessibility of medical care in the US?

Click here for more information about Peter Pitt’s new book.




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April 18, 2019


Title: BREAKING NEWS? Contaminated Generic Drugs
Topic: Prescription Drug Safety
Discussed by Peter Pitts
with The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (www.CMPI.org)

Generic drugs represent 90% of the volume of medicine consumed by Americans. Medications approved by the FDA rest upon three pillars: safety, efficacy and quality. Up until recently, quality has been a silent partner, but that’s no longer acceptable.

Peter Pitts says this of the crisis: “Quality can be stipulated, but it cannot be assumed.” Peter is the former FDA Associate Commissioner and current President and Co-Founder of The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest.

Questions/Issues Discussed:

Are all generic drugs “identical” to its innovator reference product?

When a generic drug is not “the same as” or “identical to” its brand cousin, is the generic drug then a “bioequivalent”?

Why have 282 warning letters have been sent to pharmaceutical companies related to manufacturing problems since 2015? Peter discusses the contaminations that have been discovered…

Click here  for more on this and other health related issues.



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May 2, 2017


Title: New Details on Healthcare
Topic: Health Care
Discussed by Peter Pitts
with The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (www.CMPI.org)

What’s UP with healthcare? Listen as Peter Pitts discusses options for Capitol Hill.

Questions/Issues Discussed:

How do you convince people who do not wish to purchase health insurance that the cost is worthwhile?

What happens if/when a person wants health insurance coverage but cannot afford the cost?

When someone has a pre-existing condition, how can they obtain health insurance coverage?

Can the Federal government agree on a solution for healthcare reform?

Should consumers have a choice in what type of healthcare coverage they buy, like car insurance?



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April 20, 2017


Title: Imported Prescription Drugs: Good or Bad?
Topic: Prescription Drug Safety
Discussed by Peter Pitts
with The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (www.CMPI.org)


Part 1 of 2

Peter Pitts is the former FDA Associate Commissioner and current President and Co-Founder of The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest . He is urging President Donald Trump to resist all drug importation from Canada, as well as other countries. Listen in as he discusses this highly important issue that all Americans should pay attention to.

Questions/Issues Discussed:

Would Importing drugs also place price controls imposed by foreign governments?

Are the majority of prescription drugs cheaper in America than other countries?

What happens after an American pharmaceutical company manufactures a drug and then sells it to a foreign country? Does the price stay the same or does it spike?

Do consumers in America pay for the research and development for new drugs?

Do pharmaceutical companies perform research and development in America or in foreign countries?



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Title: Part 2 of 2 - Imported Prescription Drugs: Good or Bad?
Topic: Prescription Drug Safety
Discussed by Peter Pitts
with The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (www.CMPI.org)

“Trump has presented himself as the great negotiator,” Pitts said. “He knows how to get deals. Let’s take him at his word and say, ‘Get out there and tell our allies that they have to carry their fair share of drug development costs.’ That simply can’t fall on American patients.”

Questions/Issues Discussed:

Are the prescription drugs imported into the US as safe as those manufactured here?

Is it a good idea to buy prescription drugs online from a foreign country?

Are generic drugs exactly the same as the patented drug?

To save Americans money, should President Trump begin negotiations immediately?

Click here for more information on this issue.



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November 7, 2016


Title: ObamaCare Self Destructing
Topic: Obamacare
Discussed by Peter Pitts
with The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (www.CMPI.org)


Part 1 of 2

In today’s economic climate, personal bankruptcy has climbed at an alarming rate. According to US bankruptcy court statistics, more than 1.5 million people file for bankruptcy every year. Most significantly, nearly 97% of bankruptcy filings are made by individuals, not by businesses.

Today, Peter Pitts, President of The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, will be discussing how Obamacare is ruining the financial status of millions of Americans.

Questions/Issues Discussed:

Will Obamacare simply implode and be replaced with something different?

Peter Pitts believes that “innovation in insurance design, medical care, pharmaceutical discovery, and personal responsibility are key components to real reform”.

Why won’t lawmakers allow a-la-cart coverage?

We were “promised” that pre-existing conditions would be covered. Has this promise been fulfilled?



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Title: Part 2 of 2 - ObamaCare Self Destructing
Topic: Obamacare
Discussed by Peter Pitts
with The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (www.CMPI.org)

Questions/Issues Discussed:

What does “innovation in pharmaceutical discovery” mean?

Does government know best when it comes to treating a patient?

Listen in as Peter Pitts discusses a bill that may be a game-changer when it comes to patient’s access to experimental drugs.

Is patient responsibility vital to improving the health care system?



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August 23, 2016


Title: Buying Medicine from Canada
Topic: Pharmaceutical Company Practices
Discussed by Peter Pitts
with The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (www.CMPI.org)

An emergency-room doctor from Texas suffered a stroke after importing what he thought was a popular  drug.   Actually substituted for the doctor’s order was a counterfeit, stroke-inducing medication shipped in from China. If medical professionals can’t tell the difference between real and counterfeit drugs, regular patients don’t stand a chance.

Peter Pitts is the former commissioner for the FDA and co-founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. Both Hillary and Trump support the importation of drugs from Canada, which could be extremely dangerous for every person living in America.

Questions/Issues Discussed:

Are drugs imported from Canada 100% safe?

Why is importing drugs from Canada growing more and more dangerous for current and future patients?

Why are people looking to Canada for cheaper drugs? Are they actually cheaper?

If you buy prescription drugs online from Canada, “You are playing Russian roulette with your health,” Peter warns.

Some believe that insurance reforms to reduce co-pays would increase medical adherence, lower overall spending, and improve health outcomes. What is Peter’s opinion?

What can candidates do to curb the high cost of prescription drugs?



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June 9, 2016


Title: Antibiotic Resistant Superbugs in America
Topic: Antibiotic Resistant Superbugs in America
Discussed by Peter Pitts
with The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (www.CMPI.org)

For the first time, researchers have found a person in the United States carrying a superbug bacteria resistant to all antibiotics. This is an alarming development that the top U.S. public health official says could mean “the end of the road” for antibiotics, as quoted from the Washington Post.

Peter Pitts is President and co-founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. From 2002-2004 Peter was the FDA’s Associate Commissioner for External Relations, serving as senior communications and policy adviser to the Commissioner. Peter’s book, “Become Strategic or Die”,  is widely recognized as a cutting edge study of how leadership, in order to be successful over the long term, must be combined with strategic vision and ethical practice. He is also the editor of the new book, “Coincidence or Crisis”,  a discussion of global prescription medicine counterfeiting.

Questions/Issues Discussed:

Has the over-prescribing of antibiotics caused a public health disaster? Peter says that “the danger of ignorance and the value of innovation” have led to this crisis. Listen as he explains.

Does this crisis dwarf the magnitude of vaccines-cause-autism issue?

Should we really be concerned that one person out of 360 million has this drug-resistant superbug? Peter reveals how hundreds of hospitals in Europe are closing due to this issue and how it could happen here in the United States. The Netherlands, for example, has an outrageous procedure in place in their hospitals to keep everyone safe. Is it necessary or overly cautious?

Are doctors unwisely using antibiotics too early and too often?

Are parents overreacting by demanding a prescription too soon when their kids become sick?

Peter Pitts also issues a dire warning for everyone concerning this situation.



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April 14, 2016


Title: Congress Using Big Pharma as a Scapegoat
Topic: Health Care Costs
Discussed by Peter Pitts
with The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (www.CMPI.org)

According to Dictionary.com, a “Scapegoat” is a person or group made to bear the blame for others or to suffer in their place.

There is no doubt that healthcare costs are on the rise, with no end in sight. Someone – or some group – needs to be blamed, right? Well, it appears that Congress has thrust that dreadful charge upon the pharmaceutical industry. But, is this fair? Are they really to blame?

Peter Pitts, President of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, does not believe this is the action to take. “If we snapped our fingers and drugs were free tomorrow, it would only reduce federal costs by ten percent,” Peter declares. In fact, the cost of pharmaceuticals are increasing at a much, much lower rate than healthcare costs in general thanks to the growing popularity of generic drugs.

Peter goes on to express his opinion (and the opinion of many others) concerning the fact that humans are living longer and longer, enjoying much more life in their later years than many previous generations before them. But, why? First, Peter explains, “Over the last 50 years, the lifespan of the American male has increased by ten years, largely due to pharmaceuticals.” Listen in as he discusses this very important detail further.

If Big-Pharma isn’t too blame for the rise in healthcare costs, what is? Peter bluntly says its unhealthy people! Is it the government’s responsibility, however, to tell us how to live, eat, and drink? “The Government does have a role to play!” Peter says. But their duty is not to blame; it’s to educate.



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October 8, 2015


Title: Why People Don’t Trust Drug Companies
Topic: Drug Company Lies
Discussed by Peter Pitts
with The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (www.CMPI.org)


Part 1 of 2

People detest drug companies almost as much as they detest health insurance companies. The reasons why are endless. Peter Pitts  is the President and co-founder of The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. CMPI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational organization that seeks to advance the discussion and development of patient-centered health care. “Over the last fifty years, the average life-span of the American male has increased by ten years, largely due to new pharmaceuticals,” Peter Pitts reveals.

Peter also discusses how “the pharmaceutical industry spends $50 Billion every year researching and developing new drugs, most of which don’t ever come to market.” What the public doesn’t realize, however, is how difficult it is to actually develop a life-saving drug. It isn’t just “wham-bam! Here’s a new drug to help you!” The process is long and detailed and costs money.

Many people also believe that research and developers are just raking in the dough. This is absolutely false. While most do make a handsome salary (because they are smart people and have multiple degrees), the companies spend so much money trying to develop drugs to help people that they barely make a profit on the ten percent that are actually approved by the FDA!



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Title: Part 2 of 2 - Why People Don’t Trust Drug Companies
Topic: Drug Company Lies
Discussed by Peter Pitts
with The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (www.CMPI.org)

Do you know how the FDA regulates the sale of prescription drugs, including the generic brand? Is the number of generic drugs sold in America really important? Does the FDA have its own research lab to test drugs?

80% of all drugs now sold in America are generic. This is great for consumers because it brings the cost down! However, Peter Pitts points out that while generic drugs are well regulated by the FDA and most are safe and effective, they are not identical to the brand name drugs. “It’s important for your doctor to understand not just what drug you’re taking but the manufacturer.” Sometimes the generic brand is not the best solution. Peter explains in more detail how a generic drug is developed, comes out on the market, and the risk factors.

Information is power,” Peter says. He urges all patients to do their own research when their doctor prescribes a new drug for an illness. Sometimes, a pharmacist will substitute a generic brand without getting permission from the doctor so they can save the patient some money. While this is very noble of the pharmacist, it can be potentially harmful.

For more on pharmaceutical companies, click [here].



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