States combat drug reps to cut costs

Pennsylvania is among a handful of states trying to counter the pharmaceutical industry's multibillion-dollar marketing and cut costs for prescription-aid programs for senior citizens. State officials say they are trying to ensure that patients get the most effective treatment, but driving the outreach is an effort to hold down expenses. In some cases the states try to keep costs down by steering doctors to generics, in others by showing how lifestyle changes can sometimes be preferable to medication.