NCL letter to the Senate Commerce Committee in support for Markey/Blumenthal Passengers’ Bill of Rights – National Consumers League

/in imported/by

June 26, 2017 

The Honorable John Thune
Chairman
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
United States Senate
512 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510 

The Honorable Bill Nelson
Ranking Member
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
United States Senate
512 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senators Thune and Nelson,

The National Consumers League urges you to support the Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights introduced by Senators Markey and Blumenthal.[1] This pro-consumer legislation would lay the groundwork for increased competition and introduce long-awaited consumer protections to the airline marketplace.

Today, unchecked consolidation has allowed 4 airlines to control 80% of domestic flights. This consolidation has left many cities at the mercy of one or two airlines, and left many consumers with no choice but to keep returning to the same airlines that continue to mistreat them. Given this lack of competition and choice, it is perhaps little wonder that consumers are forced to suffer from a laundry list of mistreatment including:

  1. Airlines have increased load factors to more than 80%.[2] This makes overbooking situations more likely and increases the hardship faced by consumers when mass cancellations occur either due to weather, or due to a airline wide technological failure.
  2. 40,629 paying consumers were involuntarily bumped in 2016.[3]
  3. Seat size pitch has dropped from 35 inches in the 1970s an average of 31 inches today.[4] The decreased seat size has raised concerns in the medical community due to the fear of deep vein thrombosis[5] and disability rights community who are concerned that their constituents are not able to use the inflight lavatories.[6]

With shrinking seats, involuntary bumpings, and with few rights in the event of a cancellation, it is perhaps not surprising that airline complaints have skyrocketed nearly 70% in recent months.[7] The Passengers’ Bill of Rights will address these concerns by:

  1. Prohibiting involuntary bumping – Airlines that wish to continue the practice of overselling will have to revert to the free market concept of offering increasing levels of compensation to motivate consumers to take a later flight.
  2. Requiring airlines to maintain interline agreements with other airlines, and compensate consumers for lengthy delays – Interlining agreements will allow consumers to get to their destination sooner, and in the event that flying on another airline is not possible, they will receive the accommodations they deserve.
  3. Creating a minimum seat size standard – After careful study by health professionals and input from the disability rights community, the Department of Transportation will create a minimum seat size standard that will protect consumers from the adverse health effects of squeezing yourself into a small seat.
  4. Reining in out-of-control nickel-and-diming – Airlines will be required to justify sky-high ancillary fees for services like changes and cancellations and baggage fees. Airlines will also be required to refund bag fees immediately when a bag is lost or damaged.
  5. Reinstating passengers’ access to the courts – Consumers will once again be able to hold airlines accountable for denying them basic rights, including denying people with disabilities access to airline facilities
  6. Beginning to address the lack of competition in the airline industry – The GAO will begin a long-overdue review of the impact of the dramatic consolidation of the U.S. airline industry on consumers and competition

U.S. airlines have long claimed that deregulation, combined with competition would lead to a better air travel experience for all. Unfortunately for consumers, the mergers they promised would improve their service have instead only raised prices and lowered customer service. The Passengers’ Bill of Rights would restore the basic rights of passengers when they fly. NCL strongly urges you to support this common sense, pro-consumer legislation.

Sincerely,

Sally Greenberg
Executive Director
National Consumers League

CC: Members of the Senate Commerce Committee

[1] “MARKEY, BLUMENTHAL INTRODUCE AIRLINE PASSENGERS’ BILL OF RIGHTS,” Press release. June 26, 2017. Online: https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-blumenthal-introduce-airline-passengers-bill-of-rights

[2] Bureau of Transportation Statistics. “Load Factor (passenger-miles as a proportion of available seat-miles in percent (%)) All U.S. Carriers – All Airports,” Online: https://www.transtats.bts.gov/Data_Elements.aspx?Data=5

[3] United States Department of Transportation. Air Travel  Consumer Report. Pg. 35. April 2017. Online: https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/resources/individuals/aviation-consumerprotection/278481/2017-april-atcr.pdf

[4]Congressman Steve Cohen. “Reps. Cohen and Kinzinger, Senators Blumenthal, Schumer, Markey, Menendez and Feinstein Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral SEAT Act,” Press release. March 9, 2017. Online: https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-cohen-and-kinzinger-senators-blumenthalschumer-markey-menendez-and

[5] “Safety risk of shrinking airline seats questioned,” Los Angeles Times. April 14, 2015. Online:             https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-airline-seat-risks-20150414-story.html

[6] Eng, Dinah. “Smaller Bathrooms on Planes Pose Challenges for Passengers,” New York Times. December 23, 2016. Online: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/23/travel/smaller-airplane-bathrooms-challenges-forpassengers.html

[7] U.S. Department of Transportation. Air Travel Consumer Report. June 2017. Pg. 37. Online: https://cms.dot.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/resources/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/282456/2017juneatcr_0.pdf

NCL statement on the Senate Republican release of the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 – National Consumers League

/in imported/by

June 23, 2017

Contact: National Consumers League, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC–The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, NCL executive director:

After weeks of unprecedented closed-door meetings and deal making, Senate Republicans released their version of a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. This cruel legislation shows a brazen disregard for the well-being of Americans, and prioritizes special interests and tax breaks for the rich over affordable healthcare for all. Provisions of this bill include the elimination of essential health benefits, the establishment of ineffective high risk pools to cover America’s most vulnerable populations, and catastrophic cuts to Medicaid that surpass those included in the House bill. The bill directly contradicts President Trump’s guarantee to leave Medicaid intact, and represents a broken promise to the American people to improve upon the House’s legislation and ensure affordable coverage for every American. 

The National Consumers League urges patients and consumers to engage their Senators and ask them to vote “no” on this bill that will take healthcare away from millions of Americans. We will continue to work with our colleagues in the health and advocacy arenas to vehemently oppose this unscrupulous bill.

###

About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Child Labor Coalition applauds the introduction of two congressional bills to reduce dangerous child labor in U.S. agriculture – National Consumers League

/in imported/by

June 13, 2017

Washington, DC—The Child Labor Coalition (CLC) and its 35 members applaud the re-introduction late yesterday of two congressional bills that would significantly reduce child labor in U.S. agriculture and largely equalize child labor laws for wage-earning children on farms with current rules for non-farm work.

In the House of Representatives, Rep. Roybal-Allard (D-CA) re-introduced the Children’s Act for Responsible Employment (CARE), which would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act, removing the exemptions that prevent the nation’s child labor laws from applying to children who work for wages on farms.

“A 12-year-old is not allowed to work in our air-conditioned office,” said Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League and a co-chair of the CLC. “Yet, that same child is allowed to work unlimited hours, seven days a week on a farm, performing back-breaking work.”

CARE would also raise the age at which children laboring on farms can perform hazardous work from 16 to 18, which is the norm for all non-farm work. “We lose far too many children to work accidents on farms,” said CLC Coordinator Reid Maki. “This change is long overdue.”

“Child farmworkers work at far younger ages, for longer hours, and under more hazardous conditions than children are allowed to work in any other industry. It’s time to end this double standard in U.S. law and ensure they have the same protections as other working youth,” said CLC-member Jo Becker, children’s rights advocacy director for Human Rights Watch.

Under CARE, children who work on their family’s farm would continue to be exempt from child labor laws so they may learn farming skills from their parents.

Yesterday, Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) also reintroduced legislation—the Children Don’t Belong on Tobacco Fields Act—that would ban child labor in U.S. tobacco fields.

“In the last Congress, more than 60 organizations endorsed this legislation, which is critical to protect child farmworkers from nicotine poisoning and unnecessary pesticide exposure,” said Norma Flores López, the CLC’s Domestic Issues Committee chair. “Impoverished farmworker children should not be asked to help harvest such a dangerous crop.”

“Senator Durbin and Congressman Cicilline get it,” said First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley, also a member of the CLC. “We don’t let kids consume tobacco products; we sure shouldn’t let kids risk their lives to produce them.”

“The proposed ban on child labor in tobacco and the CARE Act would go far to protect child farmworkers from well-established work dangers,” said CLC Co-Chair Dr. Lorretta Johnson, secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers, who added that child labor and migration have a profound impact on the education of child farmworkers. “More than half of children who regularly work on farms will not graduate from high school. That is unacceptable. Until all children, regardless of where they are born, have the same opportunity to receive an education, we will continue advocating and fighting on their behalf.”

“Yesterday marked the global celebration of World Day Against Child Labor,” said NCL’s Greenberg. “We would like to thank Rep. Roybal-Allard, Rep. Cicilline, and Senator Durbin for standing up for America’s most vulnerable workers—farmworker children.”  

###

About the Child Labor Coalition

The Child Labor Coalition, which has 35 member organizations, represents consumers, labor unions, educators, human rights and labor rights groups, child advocacy groups, and religious and women’s groups. It was established in 1989, and is co-chaired by the National Consumers League and the American Federation of Teachers. Its mission is to protect working youth and to promote legislation, programs, and initiatives to end child labor exploitation in the United States and abroad. The CLC’s website and membership list can be found at www.stopchildlabor.org.

Food watchdog groups sue Trump Administration over menu labeling – National Consumers League

/in imported/by

June 7, 2017

Media contacts: Peter Lehner | plehner@earthjustice.org |212-845-7389; Jeff Cronin | jcronin@cspinet.org | 202-777-8370; Carol McKay | carolm@nclnet.org | 412-945-3242

Washington, DC—The Center for Science in the Public Interest and the National Consumers League, both represented by the nonprofit law firm Earthjustice, filed a lawsuit today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s decision to delay a rule requiring chain restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores, and other food retail establishments to post calorie counts for prepared food and beverages.  

FDA issued the rule requiring disclosure of calorie counts and other nutrition information in 2014 but, one day before industry was due to comply in May 2017, the FDA delayed the compliance deadline for an additional year until May 2018.

Without menu labeling, it’s hard for consumers to estimate the calorie content of popular restaurant items. For instance, a pecan roll from Panera has over 300 more calories than a chocolate pastry. 7-Eleven’s Big Bite Hot Dog & Big Gulp Coke (560 calories and 320 calories, respectively), currently advertised for $2.22, provide more than 40 percent of a person’s suggested daily caloric intake.  Some items contain almost an entire day’s worth of calories: a regular oriental chicken salad from Applebee’s contains approximately 70 percent of a person’s suggested daily caloric intake, and a slice of the Cheesecake Factory’s Carrot Cake has more than 80 percent.

Menu labeling also encourages restaurants to offer more healthful menu items and portion sizes. Between 2005 and 2011, healthier food options increased from 13 percent to 20 percent at five fast food chains subject to state and local menu labeling requirements.

“The Trump administration’s delay of menu labeling ill serves consumers, who need and want better information about their food choices,” said CSPI Director of Nutrition Policy Margo G. Wootan. “But the delay also ill serves the restaurant industry, which supports menu labeling and has already invested in new menus and menu boards.  By siding with convenience stores and supermarkets over restaurant chains, the Trump administration is randomly sowing chaos.”

Numerous studies indicate that menu labeling is both necessary to and effective in reducing the amount of food purchased and, thus, reducing the health and environmental impacts of food production, consumption, and disposal.

Over two-thirds of U.S. adults and one-third of children are overweight or obese, contributing to high levels of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer. Eating out contributes to obesity and poor nutrition. On a typical day, 33 percent of children, 41 percent of adolescents and 36 percent of adults eat at fast food restaurants. Studies show that people tend to consume more calories, saturated fat, and sugary drinks and fewer fruits and whole grains when eating out.

“There is absolutely no justification for further delaying this menu labeling rule,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League. “Consumers overwhelmingly say they use and want nutrition information about the food they are eating or buying when they’re out at restaurants or getting takeout; and many of the leading restaurants and trade associations are already providing calories and other facts about what’s on the menu.”  

“The recent delay in the rule is yet another example of the Trump administration’s willingness to accommodate even unfounded and partial industry opposition to the detriment of the health and welfare of people and families across the country,” said Peter Lehner, the Earthjustice senior attorney handling the lawsuit.

“There are monitors that can tell us exactly how many steps we take in a day and how much sleep we get at night, but we are denied the basic right to know how many calories are served at a restaurant,” said Lehner. 

FDA’s menu labeling rule has widespread support ranging from the National Restaurant Association to the American public. Eighty percent of consumers support menu labeling in chain restaurants; 77 percent want menu labeling at convenience stores; and 81 percent favor having supermarkets provide calorie information for their prepared restaurant-type foods.

Even though the National Restaurant Association supported the menu labeling rule, some food service establishments, such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and pizzerias continue to complain.  

This lawsuit asserts that the delay of the menu labeling requirement—published without prior notice or an opportunity for comment, one day before the menu labeling rule was supposed to take effect—is illegal and must be vacated.  Since the regulated industry was ready to comply before the delay, it can promptly comply with the menu labeling rule once reinstated and, thus, begin to provide this important health information to the public without delay, according to the complaint. 

Read the complaint at Earthjustice.org.

###

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is a nonprofit health-advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., that focuses on nutrition and food safety. CSPI is supported largely by it supporters and subscribers to its Nutrition Action Healthletter and by foundation grants.

Earthjustice, the nation’s premier nonprofit environmental law organization, wields the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy and to combat climate change. Because the earth needs a good lawyer.

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad.

NCL statement on President Trump’s Air Traffic Control Privatization Proposal – National Consumers League

/in imported/by

June 5, 2017

Contact: National Consumers League, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL), America’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, called today’s announcement by the White House that it will support the privatization of the nation’s air traffic control (ATC) infrastructure a grave threat to consumer’s safety and pocketbooks. NCL further called on pro-consumer members of Congress to resist efforts to include such a proposal in the forthcoming reauthorization legislation for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“As the Dr. David Dao and subsequent incidents clearly indicate, the airline industry wastes no opportunity to demonstrate its blatant disregard for the personal safety and financial well-being of the millions of consumers who must rely on the nation’s airlines every day,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “Instead of supporting efforts to rein in the worst excesses of an oligopolistic industry, the White House is proposing to give the airlines even greater power — this time over the critically important air traffic control system. Such a power grab by the industry is entirely unacceptable and should be resisted.” 

The White House’s proposal is reportedly based on the ATC privatization language that Congressman Bill Shuster (R-PA), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has long championed with support from some of the country’s biggest airlines. The privatization scheme would remove the critical role that the FAA plays in maintaining the safety and security of the nation’s airways and replace it with a nonprofit board dominated by the airlines themselves. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found on multiple occasions that ATC privatization schemes would not significantly improve passenger safety, protect national security, or accelerate the deployment of the NextGen ATC technology. In a worst-case scenario, the GAO found that taxpayers could be on the hook for bailing out the nonprofit corporation that the White House is promoting if it is unable to properly maintain the nation’s ATC system.

“ATC privatization would almost certainly lead to more fees being piled on the backs of consumers who are already forced to endure cramped seats, poor service, and outrageous nickel-and-diming for every possible thing from food to seats to blankets,” said John Breyault, NCL vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud. “The airlines’ ATC privatization campaign is yet another effort to shift more of the costs of providing safe, efficient service onto consumers. The bottom line is that airlines should focus more on getting their own houses in order and less on trying to privatize an ATC system that, despite its warts, has an admirable record of protecting the safety and security of the flying public.”

###

About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Sixth annual Script Your Future contest saw participation by 66 health profession schools hosting 300+ events in 18 states and Puerto Rico, and reaching more than 12 million consumers nationwide – National Consumers League

/in imported/by

May 25, 2017

Sixth annual Script Your Future contest saw participation by 66 health profession schools hosting 300+ events in 18 states and Puerto Rico, and reaching more than 12 million consumers nationwide

Contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC — Today, the National Consumers League (NCL) and its partners announced the winners of the sixth annual Script Your Future Medication Adherence Team Challenge, a competition designed to engage health profession students and faculty across the nation by encouraging teams to develop creative ideas, events, and initiatives to raise public awareness about the importance of medication adherence. This year’s winners are University of Charleston School of Pharmacy, Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), University of the Sciences Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, and University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy.

The 2017 Medication Adherence Team Challenge is part of the national Script Your Future public awareness campaign coordinated by NCL and its 135+ public and private stakeholder organizations, which include Challenge sponsors—the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation, the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). “The Script Your Future Medication Adherence Team Challenge continues to be an innovative method for our future healthcare professionals to engage with their local communities,” said Executive Vice President and CEO at AACP Dr. Lucinda L. Maine. “The broad social media outreach and events held in these communities provide essential information and strategies for patients to improve their medication adherence and ultimately their health outcomes.”

Research shows that nearly three out of four Americans do not take their medications as directed. This may lead to devastating results, particularly for people with chronic conditions. National health advocacy leaders have recognized poor medication adherence, the outcome of which leads to more than one-third of medicine-related hospitalizations and at least 125,000 U.S. deaths each year, as a public health priority. Improved medication adherence leads to better health outcomes and reduced total healthcare costs, and it was for these reasons that NCL launched the Script Your Future awareness campaign in 2011. The Team Challenge was established as a way to extend campaign messages into medical and other health profession schools, and to nurture adherence-minded values in future generations of professionals entering the workplace.

“Each year, we are so impressed with and inspired by the collaborative and creative outreach the student teams carry out to improve awareness of medication adherence in their communities,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “Though the current healthcare landscape is anything but certain, we know that the role of healthcare professionals in promoting medication adherence and improving health outcomes will always be integral. We look forward to continuing to work with the next generation of health professionals to promote an interprofessional approach to adherence-minded care delivery through the Team Challenge.”

Top-performing teams are honored with a National Award for overall outstanding team achievement, or a Focused Award, which recognizes outstanding team achievement in the specific areas of health disparity/under-represented community outreach, media/communications outreach, or creative interprofessional team event. This year, the Script Your Future National Awards went to the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy and Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED). NEOMED also won two focused awards in the areas of health disparities and media outreach. The University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy earned the focused award for creative interprofessional team event. For the first time, NCL also honored an outstanding team in their first or second year of the Challenge with the Rookie Award. This prize went to University of the Sciences Philadelphia College of Pharmacy.

“The Script Your Future Team Challenge is a forward-thinking, collaborative effort that could spark further improvements in medication adherence,” said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA. “It’s appropriate that pharmacists play a prominent role in this annual event. They’re clinically trained medication experts with a commitment to driving patient adherence through services like medication therapy management and medication synchronization. The Script Your Future participants are experimenting with new ways to improve health outcomes and bend the cost curve—and we can all learn from their experience. NCPA applauds their efforts.”

For this year’s Challenge, hundreds of future healthcare professionals held more than 320 events in 18 states and Puerto Rico, directly counseled more than 15,000 patients, and exposed more than 12 million consumers nationwide to Script Your Future. Since the Challenge began in 2011, more than 12,000 future healthcare professionals have directly counseled nearly 50,000 patients and reached more than 23 million consumers.

“The Medication Adherence Team Challenge gives students the opportunity to build inter-professional healthcare teams that can help patients adhere to their prescriptions,” said NACDS Foundation President Kathleen Jaeger. “Participants in this year’s Challenge exemplified the influence that care collaboration has on advancing patient care and improving public health. The NACDS Foundation is proud to be a part of such an impactful and educational program.”

“Considering both their expertise and accessibility, pharmacists are uniquely positioned to help patients optimize the effects of their prescription medications which includes encouraging adherence. We are excited to continue our involvement with the Medication Adherence Team Challenge and the strong message it sends to healthcare professionals, patients and the community about the importance of medication adherence,” said APhA CEO Thomas E. Menighan, BSPharm, MBA, ScD (Hon), FAPhA.

The recognized schools, selected from dozens of applications and 66 participating educational institutions, are listed below.

National Challenge Award: University of Charleston School of Pharmacy
The University of Charleston School of Pharmacy partnered with the University’s Physician Assistant Program, Nursing Program and several student organizations to sponsor 23 innovative medication adherence events and activities that reached 750,000+ people in West Virginia. The Charleston team participated in eight health fairs, partnered with local hospitals, and provided direct patient counseling, point-of-care testing, and medication reviews to three underserved rural communities. The team also introduced the “Generation Rx” program, through which more than 300 5th grade students were educated on medication adherence, medication safety, and proper medication disposal. In addition to targeted interventions addressing cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and diabetes, the Charleston team, in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), incorporated educational outreach efforts to address the opioid epidemic and safe opioid use and disposal. Other activities included the distribution of 33,000 medication adherence flyers and wallet cards, the coordination of a West Virginia Pharmacist’s Day at the State Legislature, and a six-part radio series on medication adherence.

National Challenge Award: Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED)
The team at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), comprised by pharmacy, medical, and nursing students, conducted several community and media events to educate a broad range of patient populations, including children, seniors, refugees, and low-income individuals, on the importance of medication adherence. The team established multiple touchpoints for patients and consumers to connect with the Script Your Future campaign by providing educational opportunities and disseminating thousands of wallet cards, posters, stickers, and pillboxes in various community settings—including college basketball games, senior assisted living facilities, local recreation centers, free clinics, and a cheer competition. Other activities included a medical mission trip to Honduras, participation in the Accelerate Northeast Ohio “Pillbox Project” Competition, and the direct counseling of 4,000+ patients. Additionally, the NEOMED team was honored for its medication adherence advocacy with a proclamation from Ohio Governor John Kasich, designating January through March “Remembering to Take Your Medicines Months.”

National Challenge Award: Finalists
The following schools were named Finalists under the National Award category: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy (LECOM), Ohio Northern University Raabe College of Pharmacy, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, Touro University California College of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Eshelman School of Pharmacy, and University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy.

Rookie Award: University of the Sciences Philadelphia College of Pharmacy
University of the Sciences Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (USciences) made an excellent showing in the Team Challenge as a first-time competitor, reaching more than 15,000 people through 17 community events and social media outreach. Students from USciences’ Colleges of Pharmacy and Health Sciences comprised the interprofessional team. In addition, the team forged partnerships with Pennsylvania’s Dental Medicine School, Samson College of Health Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, and Temple University’s School of Dentistry and School of Medicine. Activities included a weekly table at the local farmer’s market, partnerships with local pharmacies to counsel patients, and participation in the “Know Your Numbers” Men’s Health Initiative of 2017, Philadelphia’s largest screening event for men. The team’s work on medication adherence and the Script Your Future campaign was also featured in its school newsletter and other Philadelphia news outlets.

Rookie Award Finalist: St. John Fisher College
St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY also made a very strong showing in their Rookie year of the Challenge.

FOCUSED AWARDS
Health Disparities/Under-represented Community Outreach Award: Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED)
Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) addressed economic, educational, and cultural barriers to medication adherence through its robust outreach to underserved populations. Examples of NEOMED’s efforts include a Night of Hope for refugees in Akron, a Heroin Epidemic community presentation, seminars in three underserved senior apartment complexes, and a medical mission trip to Honduras that reached 2,400+ patients.

Communication and Media Outreach Award: Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED)
This year’s Media/Communications Outreach Award went to Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), which reached more than 1 million people through several print and digital media. NEOMED’s team produced two videos—the first highlighting Script Your Future campaign materials through the “Mannequin Challenge,” and the other demonstrating the importance of medication adherence through a music video. In addition to educating thousands of patients through social media, the team also promoted medication adherence through articles in university and local publications and local news segments.

Touro University California College of Pharmacy, a finalist for both the National Challenge Award and the Media Outreach Award, produced an excellent animated video about the importance of medication adherence and tips to improve adherence.  

Creative Inter-Professional Team Event Award: University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy
The University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy partnered with students from the University’s schools of medicine, nursing, public health, social work, and health and rehabilitation services to conduct several innovative events that raised awareness of the importance of taking medications as directed. In addition to patient counseling and point-of-care testing, other activities included a tabling event at a local pharmacy, presentations on the importance of medication adherence to occupational therapy students, a feature in the School of Social Work newsletter, and trainings to nursing and medical students on conducting the MMAS-4 survey, which measures medication adherence.

###

About Script Your Future
Launched in 2011, Script Your Future is a campaign of the National Consumers League (NCL), a private, non-profit membership organization founded in 1899. NCL’s mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. As an advocacy organization, NCL is working to educate consumers and key health stakeholders on the importance of taking medication as directed. For more information about the Script Your Future campaign, visit ScriptYourFuture.org. For more information on NCL, please visit nclnet.org.

NCL applauds preservation of the Obama Administration’s Adoption of Fiduciary Rule – National Consumers League

/in imported/by

May 23, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL) is applauding the conclusion by U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta that there is a “no principled legal basis” for further delaying implementation of the core provisions of the Department’s conflict of interest (or “fiduciary”) rule, about which Acosta wrote in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. As a result, the provisions of the rule that close loopholes in the definition of fiduciary investment advice will become applicable as scheduled June 9. Also newly applicable will be the impartial conduct standards requiring those operating—with what would otherwise be an impermissible conflict of interest—to act in their customers’ best interests, charge reasonable fees, and avoid misleading statements.

Every year, retirement savers lose $17 billion because they receive bad advice from financial advisers—such as by being steered into investments that provide larger payments to the adviser but lower returns for the saver.

“The Department of Labor under President Trump and Secretary Acosta has been pressured on many fronts to undo this critically important rule that requires that investment advisors operate in the best interests of the investor. We welcome this news that DOL sees no further legal basis for delay after many months of indecision,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL’s executive director.

“Honest firms and investor advocates agree that working in the best interests of clients and avoiding conflicts of interest is good for industry and good for consumers. We urge the Trump Administration not to consider any further delays in implementing the fiduciary rule, which is backed up by very strong regulatory record at DOL and has been upheld in previous court cases,” said Greenberg.

###

About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization.  Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad.  For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL statement of support for confectionery industry voluntary commitment to calorie transparency and package-size options – National Consumers League

/in imported/by

May 12, 2017

Media contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer and nutrition advocacy organization, is pleased by the confectionery industry’s voluntary commitment made at the Partnership for a Healthier America Summit to provide consumers with greater transparency and portion options.

The following statement may be attributed to Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League:

“Consumers consider candy a fun treat which can be incorporated into a balanced diet. The confectionery companies that made the recent announcement to label calories on the front of their packaging and create smaller sizes are helping people understand what it means to have the occasional treat. We support the companies’ commitment and investment in consumer education programs that will reinforce the treat concept and help consumers to make informed choices and reduce their consumption of calories and sugar.”

NCL has long respected the role of the Partnership for a Healthier America in the work it does to encourage the production and consumption of healthier alternatives on campuses, in hospitals, and in the broader marketplace. 

###

About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization.  Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad.  For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL releases consumer guide to fraudulent coding bootcamp claims – National Consumers League

/in imported/by

May 10, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC – Today, the National Consumers League (NCL) launched an internal site and consumer-friendly guide to help identify fraudulent coding bootcamp job placement claims. Coding bootcamps have been growing, thanks to the job skills they teach to students eager to land sought-after careers in the technology field. However, due to the large demand in bootcamp programs companies have been exaggerating their graduates’ job placement numbers in order to stay competitive. Because of these questionable tactics, NCL is grasping the opportunity to help consumers spot red flags before choosing a bootcamp to enroll in. 

“With tuition costs ranging from $5,000 to as much as $21,000, it’s clear as to why administrators would be tempted to stretch their job placement claims,” explains Sally Greenberg, NCL’s Executive Director. “It’s become exceptionally frequent to see bootcamps boasting job placement rates of well over 90% with “guaranteed” high incomes upon graduation – a [disappointing], but common, reality.”

NCL has released a detailed consumer guide to help relieve the knowledge gap between what is claimed in coding bootcamp advertisements and the reality behind the program’s numbers. The guide examines the popularity of the new coding trend, helps consumers debunk common false claims, and urges people to follow several basic steps when considering a coding bootcamp such as:

  1. Beware of too-good-to-be-true job placement claims. Placement rates in excess of 90% are likely to be exaggerated and rely on cherry-picked data.
  2. Make sure the schools you’re considering are licensed in the state in which they operate.
  3. Don’t rely solely on advertising materials provided by the bootcamp operator. Use independent information to evaluate your options – alumni references, services offered, and quality and qualifications of instructors. 

To make informed decisions with confidence and learn more about the challenges facing this growing industry, visit nclnet.org/coding_bootcamps to view NCL’s coding bootcamp consumer guide.

###

About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL statement on the risks of importation and counterfeit drugs – National Consumers League

/in imported/by

May 9, 2017

Media contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—As the nation’s pioneer consumer organization, the National Consumers League (NCL) strongly supports consumer access to safe, effective, and affordable prescription drugs. However, given NCL’s long-standing focus on health policy and fraud issues, we are concerned that pending prescription drug importation proposals will open the U.S. market to a flood of counterfeit and/or substandard drugs, putting patient health and safety at risk. HHS and FDA agree that the risks of importation outweigh any potential cost-saving benefits. “Over the last 17 years, every HHS Secretary and FDA Commissioner has refused to certify the safety of prescription drug importation,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg.

Counterfeit drugs are a significant public health threat. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 10 percent of medicines worldwide are counterfeit, including up to half of the drugs consumed in developing nations. Counterfeit drugs may contain the wrong active ingredient, the wrong amount of the active ingredient, no active ingredient, harmful ingredients, or even poisons such as mercury, road tar, or antifreeze. Fortunately, the U.S. has a closed drug distribution system, along with a comprehensive FDA review, approval, and regulatory process that works to protect American consumers from the threat of counterfeit drugs.

Allowing prescription drug importation from Canada and other countries would likely lead to an explosion of new online pharmacies hoping to lure consumers with the promise of low prices. We know, however, that it is very difficult for consumers to distinguish between safe and legitimate online pharmacy websites and thousands of others selling counterfeit, adulterated, and unapproved drugs. According to the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (ASOP Global, of which NCL is an Observer Member), 65 percent of online search results for prescription drugs lead U.S. consumers to illegal and unsafe websites. Furthermore, it is difficult – if not impossible – for law enforcement to take action against these illegal online pharmacies, especially if they are based overseas. Allowing prescription drug importation will only exacerbate these patient safety risks.

NCL is also concerned that there is no way to ensure that drugs purporting to come from Canada actually come from Canada. Canada has said that it will not certify the integrity and safety of drugs exported from Canada into the U.S. According to an FDA report, “FDA evaluation of non-FDA-approved imported drugs revealed that while nearly half of imported drugs claimed to be Canadian or from Canadian pharmacies, 85 percent of such drugs were actually from different countries.” The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) shares NCL’s concerns and has cautioned that “sending consumers online to look for Health Canada-approved medicines is reckless, as US patients are likely to receive unapproved, substandard, and counterfeit drugs from unknown foreign sources, posing a serious risk to patient safety.”

Prescription drug importation undermines the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) safety goals, because product would be sold into the U.S. system without the necessary product identifiers that will enable electronic tracing of products throughout the drug supply chain (see 2/28/17 letter from the Pew Charitable Trusts to Senator Sanders). The U.S. government would not be able to enforce DSCSA requirements as to foreign manufacturers, wholesalers, or dispensers. In addition, there is no way to verify that foreign sellers are buying only from FDA-registered foreign facilities. There is great profit potential for bad actors to purchase from illegal sources and sell to the U.S. market, thus threatening the health of our nation’s consumers.

“While ensuring access to affordable prescription drugs is a goal shared by all, prescription drug importation is too risky,” said NCL Health Policy Director Karin Bolte. As former FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf has stated: “Authorizing importation would compromise the closed drug distribution system in the United States and undermine these [safety] laws, thus making it easier for unapproved drugs, which may include counterfeit or other substandard drugs, to reach American patients putting their treatment at risk. FDA is concerned that the risks of unapproved products from foreign sources outweigh any potential cost savings.”

“The National Consumers League urges Congress to reject prescription drug importation proposals and find other ways to ensure consumer access to the safe, effective, and affordable drugs they need to maintain their health,” said Bolte.

###

About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.