MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) – Efforts in New England to curb the use of prescription drug data may soon be coming to a head in federal courts.

“Data-mining” firms gather electronic information on the drugs physicians order for their patients and sell that information to pharmaceutical companies for marketing purposes.

The data companies have sued to block laws restricting their activities in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

They’re set to appear at the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York on Tuesday to ask a three-judge panel to block Vermont’s law from taking effect July 1.

And the U.S. Supreme Court is soon to decide whether to hear a similar case out of New Hampshire.

AP-ES-06-19-09 1720EDT