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RECENT NEWS AND U.S.
CONGRESS INITIATIVES RELATED TO PHARMACEUTICAL IMPORTS
July 25, 2003
House OKs drug import bill
Washington (CNN) – by David Espo, AP Special Correspondent
(excerpts from the original article)
“In a blow to the Republican
leadership, the House of Representatives early Friday approved a
controversial bill to allow Americans to import lower-cost prescription
drugs from Canada and Europe, which proponents say could help curb
escalating drug costs.
The bill passed 243-186,
shortly before 3 a.m. ET.
The Bush administration and
the leadership in the GOP-controlled Congress both oppose the bill, but
some lawmakers feeling enormous pressure over rising drug costs have
broken ranks to support it.
One of those members, Rep.
Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., said if the bill fails, "Americans may remain under
the thumb of the pharmaceutical industry for the foreseeable future."
"In America, breast cancer
kills over 40,000 people, especially women, each year," she said on the
House floor. "A bottle of Tamoxifen used to fight breast cancer costs $360
in the United States. It costs $60 in Germany. How long will American
women who can't afford Tamoxifen continue to subsidize those in Europe who
can?"…
… While it is already legal
to import prescription drugs, the bill would remove an existing
requirement that the Secretary of Health and Human Services verify that
the imported drugs are safe –
108th CONGRESS - 1st Session
- H. R. 2427, Bill Passed on 7/25/04
July 11,
2001
House Backs Limited Drug Import Plan
Washington (Reuters) – by Adam Entous (excerpts from the original
article)
"Under pressure from
consumers to rein in sky-high prescription drug prices, the
House of Representatives
voted on Wednesday to let Americans import less expensive medicines from
Europe and elsewhere by mail order despite opposition from the Bush
administration."
“… U.S. consumers often pay
30 percent to 70 percent more for prescription medicines than consumers in
other countries. Experts say that is partly because the United States is
the world's only major developed nation without price controls on drugs.
For example, a 30-day supply of the popular allergy medicine Claritin
costs $63.06 in the United States, versus $16.05 in European countries,
according to estimates by the Life Extension Network.”
July 11,
2000
House Votes to Protect Personal Prescription Mail Order From Foreign
Countries
The Washington Post (excerpt from the original article “House
Blocks Drug Import Curbs”)
" Amid growing public
resentment of high prescription drug prices, the House voted
overwhelmingly yesterday to prevent the government from discouraging the
purchasing of drugs in Canada or other countries where the medicines are
cheaper....The FDA sometimes sends warning letters to those caught doing
it.."
July 19,
2000
Senate OK's Prescription Imports
Washington - by Janelle Carter, Associated Press Writer (excerpt
from the original article)
The Senate agreed Wednesday
to lift a ban on importing prescription drugs into the United States from
foreign countries, responding to critics who have complained that
Americans are being gouged by drug prices.
The measure, which passed
74-21, was attached to the agriculture spending bill currently being
debated in the Senate. The debate centers on complaints that Americans are
paying more for drugs available at a cheaper cost in some other countries.
"Why are we charged so much
more for the identical drug?" said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D. and one of
the sponsors of the measure. "If someone else is paying half price or a
third of the price than is being charged to the American consumer ... why
can't the American consumer have access to those drugs in a global
economy?" ……
FDA's “Personal Use”
Prescription Drug Import Policy –
FDA first introduced this policy in 1988 as a response to concerns that
certain potentially effective AIDS treatments were available in other
countries but not accessible to U.S Residents. The “personal Use” policy
allows consumers to purchase and/or import prescription medications from
foreign pharmacies, as long as it is intended for personal use and does
not exceed a 90 day supply. FDA never intended for this to open the doors
to the importation of other types of prescription medications, but that is
exactly what happened. Since then, there has been a dramatic increase in
the number of people importing discounted prescription drugs from foreign
pharmacies.
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