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        New Message Board Archives >> Jul-Sep 2003 >> (article)House OKs Importation of Lower-Cost Drugs
        
(Message started by: Melissa on Jul 25^th, 2003, 8:02am)

Title: (article)House OKs Importation of Lower-Cost Drugs
Post by Melissa on Jul 25^th, 2003, 8:02am

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20030725/D7SGHMNO0.html

House OKs Importation of Lower-Cost Drugs

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Jul 25, 7:58 AM (ET)

By DAVID ESPO

WASHINGTON (AP) - The House approved legislation early Friday allowing Americans to purchase prescription medicine abroad, voting 243-186 after a clash that pitted the hope of lower prices against the fear of counterfeit drugs.

The vote marked a defeat for the pharmaceutical industry, which spends millions lobbying Congress, and was repeatedly criticized by lawmakers in both parties for putting profits ahead of patients.

"It's not about safety, it's about money," said conservative Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., practically hissing the word. "There's a woman ... who's dying of breast cancer," he added. "... How do you tell her when she goes to buy tamoxifen that she can't afford it but she could go right across the border to Canada and get it for one sixth or one seventh the cost."

"The country is going to be flooded with unsafe pharmaceutical counterfeits, over-age pharmaceuticals, pharmaceuticals that don't preserve and protect the safety of our citizens," countered Rep. John Dingell, a Michigan Democrat who has long worked on drug issues.

The vote sent the bill to the Senate, and House supporters hoped it would be incorporated, as well, in any final compromise on Medicare prescription drug legislation.

But the chances of that appeared to dim even as the debate unfolded on the House floor, when 53 senators announced their opposition to any change in the current law which allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to decide whether importation would be safe.

Among those signing a letter on the issue were Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Don Nickles, R-Okla., both of whom are part of the group hoping to craft a final Medicare bill this fall.

Congress has approved legislation twice before dealing with the drug importation issue, but both times said the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services would first have to certify that the drugs would be safe. Neither Donna Shalala, who served under former President Clinton, nor Tommy Thompson, who holds office under President Bush, was willing to do so.

This time, the bill backed by Republican Reps. Gil Gutknecht of Minnesota, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri and Democratic Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, ordered HHS to set up a system to allow importation of FDA-approved drugs from FDA-approved facilities in Canada, the European Union and seven other nations.

The measure also would require imported medicine to be shipped in anti-tampering and anti-counterfeiting packaging.

Even so, the Bush administration issued a statement calling the bill "dangerous legislation."

And FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan said the measure "creates a wide channel for large volumes of unapproved drugs and other products to enter the United States that are potentially injurious to public health and pose a threat to the security of our nation's drug supply."

The vote crossed the customary party and ideological lines in the House. There were 155 Democrats, 87 Republicans and 1 independent in favor, and 45 Democrats and 141 Republicans opposed.

The vote capped an emotional debate, supporters repeatedly referring to cancer victims who must pay more for medicine at home than they would in Canada or Germany, and opponents warning of drugs that look legitimate, but are worthless, or even hazardous.

Gutknecht held up two packages of the drug tamoxifen, used to combat breast cancer. "Why is it that Americans have to spend $260 for this life-saving drug when Germans can buy it for $60," he said.

But Rep. W.J. Tauzin, R-La., countered by showing the website of a Canadian prescription drug house. He said FDA officials had purchased anti-seizure medication from the company, but found it was made in India, not Canada. "It is water inside this package," he said.

The measure had wide appeal to consumers - thousands of whom have ridden in buses to Canada in recent years to buy lower-cost drugs. And several lawmakers accused the drug industry of merely trying to protect its own profits. Liberal Rep. Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., said it had spread "lies, lies, and lies again" in an effort to kill the bill.

"We do believe there is a safety problem," said Mark Grayson, a spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, known as PhRMA. He also said the legislation would import the system of price controls that foreign government impose on drugs.

He said he didn't know how much the group was spending to defeat the bill, adding, "We don't discuss that."

The pharmaceutical industry made more than $20 million in political contributions in the past election, with roughly $8 of every $10 going to Republicans, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics.

PhRMA itself gave more than $3 million and spent more than $14 million lobbying Congress on various issues last year. In addition, the organization gave millions last year to an organization that aired television commercials on behalf of candidates who backed a GOP-written prescription drug bill.

Title: Re: (article)House OKs Importation of Lower-Cost D
Post by catlind on Jul 25^th, 2003, 8:19am

Everyone sit down and write a letter to your congressman commending the passing of this bill. Lets stand up and show them that it means alot to those who are suffering to be able to stop or lessen their suffering by the simple act of being able to afford medications!

Cat

Title: Re: (article)House OKs Importation of Lower-Cost D
Post by FrankF on Jul 25^th, 2003, 8:30am

You can go here http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=445 to see how your Congressperson voted. My scumbag Congressman voted no. >:(

Title: Re: (article)House OKs Importation of Lower-Cost D
Post by BillyJ. on Jul 25^th, 2003, 8:49am

Thanks for sharing that Melissa.It is so good to see
compasion come before the bottom line for a change.
Now if only all that palm greasing money,err I mean
political contributions funds,were used for research!!
PF2All,
Billy

Title: Re: (article)House OKs Importation of Lower-Cost D
Post by Charlie on Jul 25^th, 2003, 12:02pm

Thanks Mel. So far I don't see a loophole for drugs bought by consumers directly. If you buy direct from Canada, it’s okay.

Naturally there’s a loophole for the real money. When it applies to import distributors, most of the foreign drugs have to be relabeled because of FDA regulations. The drug companies have the control over all relabeling of imported drugs and can therefore legally discriminate prices to import distributors. Legal blackmail. Nice.

At least it doesn‘t look like you‘ll be arrested at the border though.

Charlie

Title: Re: (article)House OKs Importation of Lower-Cost D
Post by Roxy on Jul 25^th, 2003, 3:02pm

If you want to write your representative, but you don't know who it is.....or if you don't want to bother with snail mail.....here is a link that will do everything for you, even address it. Just click on your state, it will walk you through everything you need. Just type in what you want and click the button.

http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Title: Re: (article)House OKs Importation of Lower-Cost D
Post by catlind on Jul 25^th, 2003, 3:44pm

Okay I sent my letter :)

Cat

Congressman McHugh,

I am writing to you to applaud your Aye vote on the legislation allowing Americans to purchase prescription medicine abroad.

I suffer from a rare disorder known as cluster headaches, and the medications used to treat the symptoms are in the triptan class. They are extremely expensive, and many are forced to go without medications because of insurance costs for these drugs.

This condition is known as the worst pain known to man, and is often referred to as a suicide headache. This legislation will hopefully allow for much needed affordable medications for those that suffer and in turn potentially save lives.

Thank you for your Aye vote.

Sincerely
Cathy Lind, Member
O.U.C.H.
Organization for Understanding Cluster

Title: Re: (article)House OKs Importation of Lower-Cost D
Post by andy on Jul 25^th, 2003, 3:52pm

Sent mine too, My rep voted nay, he is a pinhead!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( Great post Melissa, thanks for the link Rox. ...............andy Mine wasnt as nice as yours was catlind

Title: Re: (article)House OKs Importation of Lower-Cost D
Post by Charlie on Jul 25^th, 2003, 4:32pm

When it comes to writing these characters, email is useless. Unless it's something he or she is wild about, it's probably quickly deleted. Email very rarely gets a response.

If you want an answer or at least the knowledge that your message got some attention, send a snail mail. It's the only way.

Believe me.

Charlie

Title: Re: (article)House OKs Importation of Lower-Cost D
Post by Hound_Dogg on Jul 26^th, 2003, 8:43am

When you get your Prescription of Imitrex and find that it's useless or worse yet...contaminated. Will everyone be so quick to thank your Representatives. This has opened a flood-gate of drugs to be imported into the Country. To me, it's very scary. I would've liked to see it where the Canadian Border was opened up to importation of prescription meds. But to open it up to the entire world can create imposter drugs, drugs that don't meet strict purity and potency laws.

www.globaloptions.com/news_06-17-03.htm

We'll just have to wait & see. I hope I'm wrong...

Jim

Title: Re: (article)House OKs Importation of Lower-Cost D
Post by FrankF on Jul 26^th, 2003, 10:44am

Since the bill passed the House, it is headed for the Senate next. You can write your senator (find them at http://www.senate.gov and express your opinion for or against.
I have written them before on other subjects and agree with Charlie (if you want a written response... snail mail is the only way). Maybe they don't know how to use email?

Title: Re: (article)House OKs Importation of Lower-Cost D
Post by Charlie on Jul 26^th, 2003, 4:33pm

I have to trust Canada. I doubt much will get by them.

The Senate will likely be easier so long as some idiot doesn't decide to build a base or something. If it made it past Tom Delay and the other House Nazis, it shouldn't be any harder there. The operative word is "shouldn't."

Charlie