Action phone script
Contact Information for Key Representatives to Contact HERE
Find a Sample Email HERE
Find the Main Action Alert Here
Phone Script: (What to say whether you reach a staff person or are sent to voicemail)
1. Identify yourself and then tell him or her you would like to leave a brief message for the Representative, such as: “Please tell Representative xxx I would like them to vote against the Eshoo-Barton biogenerics proposal — which features 14.5 years of data exclusivity — being added to the health care reform bill. Also, please tell him or her that I would like them to support the generic biotech drug proposal which offers the lowest amount of data exclusivity possible, such as the Obama Administration’s generous compromise of a seven (7) year base period. I would prefer to see a low data exclusivity period so that consumers get affordable generic cancer and arthritis drugs as early as possible.
2. You may also want to briefly state reasons for your support. It is best that you all state your reasons in your own words. If you all say exactly the same thing, it is not as powerful.
One idea is to say something like “I am against the Eshoo-Barton 14.5 year proposal and I support giving much less data exclusivity to brand-name biologic drugs because data exclusivity can delay the introduction of price-lowering generic drug competition. Please make sure consumers don’t wait far too long for affordable versions of life-saving cancer and arthritis drugs.”
OR
“Biologics cost much more than conventional drugs but the brand-name industry’s own studies show they cost the same to develop. Please make sure consumers don’t pay too heavy a price and wait far too long for life-saving cancer and arthritis drugs.”
3.Remember to thank them.
4. If you get his or her voicemail, leave your name and phone number so he or she can respond to you, and let them know that you will follow-up.
5. Please keep track of any positive or negative responses, and report back to Ethan Guillen of UAEM report@essentialmedicine.org
Whether or not you reach the person, you may also want to send a follow-up email, using the sample email below, to make sure they get your message in time. Phone conversations are more effective than emails, but emails are checked more frequently than voicemail.
