House Mulls Bill Allowing Imported Drugs

[LauraK]

WASHINGTON - Supporters of legislation to permit importation of lower-cost prescription drugs struggled to overcome opposition by the Bush administration and the pharmaceutical industry early Friday in an emotional clash that crossed customary party and ideological lines.

"I was not sent here by drug companies and I will not stand here and see American seniors take a back seat to the pharmaceutical industry," said Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Missouri.

"A bottle of tamoxifen, used to fight breast cancer, costs $360 in the United States. It costs $60 in Germany," she added.

But critics argued the bill, while it held out the hope of lower prices, would sacrifice patient safety. ..

This time, the bill backed by Republican Reps. Gil Gutknecht of Minnesota and Emerson, as well as Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, ordered HHS to set up a system to allow importation of FDA (news - web sites)-approved drugs from FDA-approved facilities in Canada, the European Union (news - web sites) and seven other nations.

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

But the Bush administration issued a statement calling the bill "dangerous legislation."

More here

[lazarus]

1. safety?

What about the recent arrest of 19 people in Florida for watering down drugs sent to pharmacies world wide?

[Nambe]

2. Follow the Money...

""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 the 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."

[On the Road]

3. Nice End Run

Prescription drugs are screaming for price controls. If that legislation won't fly, who in this administration could possibly be against free trade?