When the Partnership for Prescription Assistance "Help is Here" Express pulls into Eastland Mall next week, it will have a special guest — Jerry Mathers, aka The Beaver.

The Partnership is an outreach effort of an industry trade group known as PhRMA. The program is designed to raise awareness of programs that help patients with prescription needs, Jim Morrill of The Charlotte Observer reports.

State Rep. Tricia Cotham, a Charlotte Democrat, helped organize the visit. She says people can bring their current prescriptions for free advice or to see if they qualify for assistance. The tour is visiting areas hard hit by unemployment and the the recession.

The bus will be at the mall from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Mathers, who starred in the sitcom "Leave it to Beaver" from 1957 to 1963, will appear at 2.

PhRMA and its CEO, former Republican U.S. Rep. Billy Tauzin of Louisiana, have come under fire from Republicans for supporting President Obama's health care reform efforts. The group has said it's willing to $150 million on a pro-health care-reform advertising campaign.

House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio accused Tauzin and his group of "appeasement" and bowing to Democrats.

THINGS CHANGED: Though they once dismissed talk of big tax increases, state Democratic leaders reached what they thought was a budget deal this week. Just as lawmakers and weary staff members began to envision an approaching end to the session, Gov. Beverly Perdue shredded the deal and sent negotiators back to the meeting room.

LOOKING AHEAD: Lots of folks were dreaming about their political futures this week. Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, like Rocky Balboa, is contemplating a rematch. Legislative Republicans all but began writing campaign literature for next year about the Democrats' tax increases. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall tried to build buzz on a possible challenge to U.S. Sen. Richard Burr.

HEALTHY DEBATE: Pharmaceutical company ads praised our U.S. senators on TV. At the RBC Center, hundreds enjoyed a Mexican food buffet and tales of a nightmarish future brought on by President Barack Obama's health care reform plan. The president's campaign apparatus awoke within the state. So apparently there's a big health care debate going on in Washington.

IN OTHER NEWS: State residents were shocked to learn this week that UNC-Chapel Hill has a bloated administration. Bill Harrison threw in the towel and announced he would retire as the state schools CEO, clearing the way for elected Superintendent June Atkinson to run the schools. A bill on its way to becoming law eliminates the waiting period to become a member of "private clubs," the technical definition of most bars across the state. Best to go get that drink before the new sin tax kicks in.

The pharmaceutical industry began running a TV advocacy ad this week, asking North Carolinians to contact their senators to thank them for supporting biomedical research.

The ad, paid for the by the industry trade group, PhRMA, is being aired when Congress is at a critical juncture in the debate concerning proposals to over hauling health care. Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan is considered a key swing vote, Rob Christensen reports.

The ad talks about the importance of biomedical research on major diseases and says both Hagan and Republican Sen. Richard Burr understand their importance.

"Tell them thanks for protecting the promise of biomedical research and the North Carolina jobs it provides," says an announcer. "It’s not just the future. It’s life."

Ken Johnson, a senior vice president of PhRMA, said biological research was revolutionizing treatments for such diseases as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cancer. He said as of 2008, there were 300 biologics that had been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and 633 biotechnology medicines including more than 250 for various cancers.

"The ad is part of our advocacy efforts," Johnson said in a  statement.

PhRMA did not say how much it was spending on the ad. But it it made an ad buy beginning Monday at WRAL of more than $13,000 run through August 2nd.

With the health care debate in Congress reaching a critical juncture, the pharmaceutical industry is spending large sums on TV advertising in North Carolina to help shape the discussion.

PhRMA, the pharmaceuticial industry group, won’t say how much it is spending in the state, Rob Christensen reports.

But public records show that the industry group has spent $75,377 on WRAL-TV alone.

The industry ad that has been running in recent days — and was airing Monday — praised Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan, a member of the Senate Health Committee. The ad is also sponsored by Families USA a nonpartisan advocacy group that pushes for affordable health care.

Hagan is one of the Southern moderates who had expressed reservations about the public health option part of President Barack Obama’s healh care plan.

"On the issues that matter to working families, Kay Hagan has been there — whether it's fighting to make healthcare more affordable or voting to expand healthcare coverage to 11 million kids without insurance," says the industry ad. "And now, Kay Hagan's leading the fight to ensure quality, affordable healthcare for every American, so you get to choose your doctor, and your doctor decides which treatments and medicines are best for you. Call Senator Hagan today. Tell her thanks for standing up for us."

The industry group, which includes local giant GlaxoSmithKline, began the advertising campaign July 2 and it is scheduled to continue at last until August 2nd, according records.

The ad campaign is part of a stepped up effort by both sides on the health care debate.

Moveon.Org., a liberal advocacy group, had threatened to run TV ads against Hagan, but so far has not done so. The Washington Post has reported that Obama has asked health advocacy groups to stop criticizing Democratic senators, including Hagan.

Update: Post now states that the ad has two sponsors.