A new report by the Pushing Prescriptions project of the Center for Public Integrity reveals that the pharmaceutical industry - one of the most powerful lobbying interests in Washington -- spent a record $168 million on Capitol Hill in 2007, representing a 30% increase over 2006. Those dollars appear to have been well spent. Among the industry's successes last year were efforts:

* blocking the importation of inexpensive drugs from other countries;
* protecting pharmaceutical patents both within the United States and abroad; and
* ensuring greater market access for pharmaceutical companies in international free trade agreements.

The full report can be found here