Interest group activity and the political process: examining the origins of the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The goal of this research was to identify whose interests were served in the creation of the Drug Price Competition and Term Patent Restoration Act of 1984, a health-related consumer bill. Hearings were examined along with newspaper articles to get a sense of the major players involved in creating this bill. Pharmaceutical companies individually and collectively were the most heard concerns. To get a deeper understanding of their lobbying activity this research focuses on the main pharmaceutical interest group at the time of the hearings, The Pharmaceutical Manufacturer's Association (PMA). The group's activity in lobbying the Act of 1984 was analyzed in relation to various state actors, taking into account the differences and political opportunities afforded by the Carter and Reagan Administrations. The findings show that the political climate and various state actors do have an effect on the ways in which PMA was able secure the pharmaceutical industry's interest.