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From YouTube: Councilman Greenlee on Bill No. 180888 12-13-2018
Description
From the Stated Meeting of Philadelphia City Council held Thursday, December 13, 2018:
Councilman Bill Greenlee (At Large) makes remarks on Bill No. 180888, prior to making a motion to hold it for the next legislative session in January.
Read the bill: http://bit.ly/2Sy13XO
A
The
number
one
808
8a
entitled
an
ordinance
amending
title
6
of
the
Philadelphia
Code
entitled
health
code
by
adding
a
new
chapter,
6
1200,
entitled
pharmaceutical
sales
and
marketing
practices
to
provide
for
registration
of
pharmaceutical
manufacturer
agents
and
certain
other
requirements
and
to
prohibit
gifts
by
pharmaceutical
manufacturers
and
their
agents
to
health
care.
Practitioners.
Chair.
B
Recognizes
Councilman
Greenlee,
Thank
You.
Mr.
president,
I
know
we've
been
here
a
little
while
but
bear
with
me
because
some
things
need
to
be
said
about
this
issue
when
Councilwoman
bass
and
I
introduced
this
bill
and
bad
point
out
at
the
administration's
request.
We
thought
it
was
an
easy
issue.
In
fact,
I
called
it
a
no-brainer
and
I
still
believe
that
this
bill
basically
just
calls
for
pharmaceutical
reps
to
register.
B
So
we
know
who
they
are
to
know
what
materials
they're
distributing
not
to
approve
to
know
and
finally,
to
ban
gifts
from
those
sales
reps
to
doctors,
because
studies
have
showed
that
prescriptions
increase
significantly
in
relation
to
the
gifts
being
given.
But
we
made
a
horrible
mistake.
The
mistake
we
made
was
we
believe
this
issue
would
be
discussed
with
facts
and
truth.
B
Unfortunately,
the
discussion
has
been
fraught
with
misinformation.
Aka
lies
bullying
and
semi
hysteria,
sometimes
without
the
semi,
and
if
you
think,
I'm
making
that
up
bear
with
me
a
minute
and
I
was
a
veteran
at
that
paid.
Sick
leave
saga
for
a
few
years
ago
and
I
kind
of
expected
that
kind
of
approach,
then
I
didn't
see
it
coming
here,
because
all
we
were
doing
was
setting
some
responsible
regulations
that
or
modelled
after
bills
and
other
states
and
cities.
So
what
was
some
of
the
misinformation
put
out
there?
B
Let
me
count
the
ways,
and
this
is
just
a
partial
list.
We
heard
that
this
bill
would
stop
interactions
between
sales,
reps
and
doctors.
False
there's,
no
restrictions
on
meeting
you
just
can't
give
any
gift
or
enticement
we
held.
We
heard
that
the
bill
would
interfere
with
the
doctor-patient
relationship.
False
this
bill
doesn't
interfere
with
that
at
all.
B
We
heard
this
bill
restrict
what
written
information
sales
reps
could
give
to
doctors
false
for
the
reasons
for
the
reasons
I
think
I
stated
before
we
just
want
to
be
informed,
and
it
was
stated
during
public
comment
that
there
was
an
approval
process.
I
would
respectfully
ask
the
gentleman
to
read
the
bill,
there's
nothing
in
there
about
approval,
and
then
it
really
got
interesting,
and
this
is
when
the
bullying
came
in.
B
We
heard
from
the
Convention
and
Visitor's
folks
that
the
farmer
people
were
going
to
pull
all
their
activities
from
conventions
here
in
Philadelphia
and
cost
us
millions
and
millions
and
maybe
a
billion,
would
it
be
dollars
and
at
first
we
thought
you
know
what
they
must
not
have
known
about
our
amendment,
because
we
amended
out
any
activity
at
conventions
and
we
said
that
there
was
any
loose
ends
there.
We
would
deal
with
it
in
regulations,
but
no
we
were
told.
No,
that's
not
the
case.
B
They
know
about
that,
but
they
were
upset
because
the
perception
that
we
were
given
was
Nate
was
an
twas,
a
negative
against
pharmaceutical
representatives.
Well,
let
me
first
give
my
most
sincere
apologies
for
our
hurting
the
feelings
of
those
sensitive
Souls.
I
also
would
say
they
don't
need
any
help
in
hurting
their
perception.
But
let
me
also
say
I
can
control
perception,
but
we
can
state
the
facts.
It's
not
perception
that
at
least
1,300
people
died
from
overdoses
last
year.
B
That's
a
fact:
it's
not
perception
that
over
prescribing
is
a
factor
in
a
major
factor
in
addiction.
That's
a
well-documented
fact:
it's
not
perception
that
addicted
people
are
laying
under
bridges
in
this
city.
Take
a
short
drive
to
Councilwoman,
Sanchez's,
district
and
you'll,
see
that's
a
real
fact,
and
you
know
what
it's
not
a
perception
that
the
speakers
today
lost
their
sons
and
daughters.
B
To
overdoses,
that's
a
fact,
and
let
me
pause
to
openly
state
that
this
bill
was
not
designed
to
solve
the
drug
problem
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia.
That's
a
multi-pronged
problem.
It'll
take
multi-pronged
solutions
and
I
also
want
to
be
clear.
This
was
not
designed
just
about
the
opioid
crisis.
The
opioid
crisis
was
an
impetus
to
this
bill,
but
what
we
are
trying
to
do
is
get
ahead
of
the
addiction
problem.
We
are
trying
to
get
to
the
point
where
we
know
what's
going
on
before
the
addictions
are
out
there.
B
Obviously,
the
opioid
crisis
is
out
there
and
it's
been
out
there
and,
unfortunately,
we
might
be
behind
already
because,
as
the
inquiry
ported
on
Monday,
the
next
edition
issue
is
already
out
there.
That's
called
benzos,
it's
got
a
longer
word,
but
I
can't
pronounce
it
drugs
like
xanax
and
they're,
not
opioids.
B
So
if,
if
there
was
amendments
opioids
that
would
not
be
included
in
this
and
that's
why
I
respectfully
declined
and
opposed
any
proposed
amendment
that
was
offered
as
a
compromise
that
just
limit
these
bills
to
opioid
products,
because
again,
there's
could
be
made
a
lot
of
different,
addictive
products
being
given
out
there
that
are
not
opioids
and
we
might
not
even
know
who
what
they
are
yet.
So
this
bill
is
necessary
even
if
we
on
ahead
of
the
next
edition
crisis.
B
But
let
me
briefly
get
back
to
the
our
former
friends
and
that
mass
hysteria
talking
about-
and
this
is
the
best
one.
Yet
this
is
real
doozie
on
Tuesday,
we
start
getting
letters
from
restaurants,
emails
and
some
from
filed
fairly
high
price
restaurants,
that
this
is
this
bill
would
cost
hundreds
and
hundreds
and
hundreds
of
thousands
of
dollars
and
because
Pharma
reps
spent
so
much
money
on
doctors
in
their
establishments
and
some
of
these
restaurants
said
they
might
have
to
lay
off
employees.
B
Now.
This
is
intriguing
because
we've
heard
in
meetings,
councilman,
bass
and
I
were
in,
and
we
heard
during
the
public
hearing
on
this
bill
that
we
were
overreaching
on
this
bill,
because
the
most
D
sales
reps
do
they
might
buy
a
sandwich.
You
know
it
might
be
a
peach
said
the
most.
You
know
no
big
deal
who's
gonna
get
who's
going
to
really
get
influenced
by
a
ham
sandwich.
B
Well,
I
think
some
places
like
Maggiano's
and
Estia
and
a
lot
of
the
places
we
gotta
learn
some
ain't
selling
ham
sandwiches
there
their
prices
are
a
whole
lot
higher
than
that.
So
some
is
not
telling
the
truth
here
now.
Maybe
the
restaurant
people
are
exaggerating,
maybe,
but
what
could
be
a
real
problem?
What,
if
they're
telling
the
truth?
What?
If
really
there,
is
this
kind
of
money
being
spent
to
influence
doctors
in
these
restaurants
in
these
high-priced
restaurants?
B
B
We're
anti
First
Amendment
we're
anti
conventions,
we're
anti
Hotels,
we're
anti
tours
we're
anti
restaurants
and
we're
just
anti
worker
generally
and
give
them
a
day
or
two
more
and
we
be
anti
Santa
Claus,
but
all
we
are
is
is
trying
to
deal
with
a
wid,
a
problem
out
there,
but
sadly,
mr.
president,
big
pharma
strategy
to
threaten
to
muddy
the
waters
and
to
throw
whatever
stuff
they
could
against
the
wall
and
hope
some
sticks
has
had
some
success.
First.
B
Excuse
me:
some
of
the
administration
who
I
say
stated
earlier
first
approached
us
about
the
bill,
has
backpedaled
and
I
know
and
I
understand
what
all
the
stuff
being
thrown
out
there
to
some
council
members
have
concerns,
so
we're
not
going
to
call
this
bill
up
for
a
vote
today
and
I
say
that
very
reluctantly,
but
we
are
not
giving
up.
This
bill
is
a
necessary
piece
of
the
fight
to
address
addiction
in
Philadelphia
and
mr.
president
I
know.
B
Through
your
efforts,
many
vigils
have
now
finally
pledged
to
all
come
together
and
discuss
this
crisis
and
I
know
Councilwoman
get
a
pass
and
I
know
she's
going
to
speak
and
I
are
very
open
to
anything
that
they
are
offering,
but
and
maybe
I'm
just
in
a
bad
mood
today.
But
forgive
me
if
I
say:
I
need
to
be
shown
this
and
color
me
skeptical,
but
I
hope
I'm
wrong.
So
again,
other
people
may
want
to
speak
on
this,
but,
let
me
just
say
I
would
request
as
a
sponsor
to
bill.