States don’t often declare war on the federal government. But several are on the verge of battle over the issue of importing prescription drugs from Canada.
The governor of Vermont plans to sue FDA for refusing the state permission to buy prescription drugs for state employees from Canada. The governor of New Hampshire has asked permission to buy prescription drugs for prison inmates from Canadian drugstores. The Health Department of Rhode Island is gearing up to license Canadian pharmacies to sell prescription drugs in that state.
And the governor of Illinois is setting up a Web-based network to help consumers find state-approved pharmacies in Canada, Ireland and England.
Governor Blagojevich said, “We have taken every possible step we could think of to convince the FDA, and convince the Congress, and anyone and everyone who will listen, that people across Illinois, and across our country, deserve access to safe and lower cost prescription drugs. The federal government has failed to act. So it’s time that we do.”
The pharmaceutical industry maintains that importing drugs from Canada is too risky, although many of these medications are actually made in U.S. plants. FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford has even suggested that terrorists might infiltrate the Canadian drug supply system to poison Americans.
But few senior citizens are buying these scare tactics. A poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation reveals that 80 percent of those questioned think the hazards have been overblown.
Older people who are most affected by high drug prices are likely to vote in the coming election, so pressure is building on Congress to reconsider current policy. The FDA forbids Americans to import drugs except under very restricted circumstances. But it has not been enforcing its rules. No one wants to arrest a grandmother for the blood pressure pills in her handbag.
Most Americans can’t go to Canada to purchase their prescription medicines. Travel costs would wipe out any savings. But many shop online without leaving their homes.
How can they be assured that the online pharmacy they use is really in Canada and not in Nepal? Here are some guidelines:
* Legitimate Canadian pharmacies are licensed by the province in which they are located. There should be a license number on the Web site.
* The physical address should also be posted. Consumers can call the Provincial Regulatory Authority to make sure the license is real.
* Pharmacy Web sites should have a toll-free number. Use it to talk to the customer service rep.
* Canadian pharmacies require a physician to approve each prescription. Avoid spam sales pitches that bypass this step.
We have prepared a Guide to Saving Money on Medicine that provides up-to-date information on ordering drugs from Canada. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $2 in check or money order with a long (no. 10) stamped (60 cents), self-addressed envelope: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. CA-99, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.
Even though drug manufacturers are resisting importation, the tide is turning. As states challenge federal regulations, Americans may soon be able to save money without breaking the law.
The People's Perspective on Medicine