Reply
Sat 5 Jun, 2004 07:01 am
FDA rejects Illinois' plan to buy Canadian drugs
Pilot program reportedly would have saved state $91 millionThe Associated Press
Updated: 2:53 p.m. ET June 04, 2004CHICAGO - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has officially denied a petition from Gov. Rod Blagojevich for a pilot program to buy prescription drugs from Canada.
advertisement
Blagojevich and officials in other states have been pushing the Bush administration to change its policy prohibiting Canadian drug imports in a bid to save the state money on drug costs.
The Food and Drug Administration, which is part of the Health and Human Services Department, opposes importation from Canada because it cannot guarantee the medicine’s safety, officials had said.
“Our review indicates that such state pilot projects are not authorized under current law and present added safety concerns,” Lester Crawford, acting commissioner of the FDA, wrote in a letter to the governor’s office.
Older Americans have flocked to Canada for prescription medications as drug prices in the United States have soared and fixed incomes have not kept up, advocates say.
Blagojevich has said the pilot project to purchase Canadian prescriptions for state employees and retirees would save the state $91 million.
Blagojevich had not yet seen the letter from Crawford, but the decision was “not surprising,” Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said Thursday.
The Bush “administration has not been very concerned about finding honest ways of helping people afford their prescription drugs,” Ottenhoff said.
The governor is still hoping for federal approval of importation as the result of a citizens’ petition submitted last month to the FDA, Ottenhoff said.
Blagojevich sent emissaries to Europe last month to determine how much the state could save by importing drugs from there. Their report has not yet been made public.
Is the reason product safety or safety [protection] of the pharmaceutical industries profits?
Of course its for safety. Thhe FDA knows how self-destructive the Canadians are . They know that the Canadians only manufacture drugs that are meant to slowly speed the illness to terminal status, thus freeing up more space in-line.
I for one feel that the US govt has got my welfare and safety in mind by selling me a "QA certified" batch of BP drugs that I can be sure are proper dosage and no beaver fur aqnd broken glass. While the Canadian version, who knows? There could be anything in that stuff.
God Bless The USA.
I suppose there is another consideration. Do we not want the defective drugs we sent them to find their way back to the US.
It's because the plan is too logical and cost effective. And it helps people live longer, more productive lives and keep more of their own money to spend as they feel. These are things the US Government is admanatly opposed to.
Safety of imported drugs is of the utmost importance, especially the generic versions.
The FDA together and the American Pharmaceutical Association are correct in their assessments and their actions realtive to these matters.
Miller
I don't want to burt your bubble, but all this is about is the all mighty dollar. Nothing more.
Canada is nothing but safe.
yes, we know that Canada is not concerned whether their drugs actually work. Our government, bless them, is.
There's also the fact that Bush is still pissed off that we refused to play in his war games ;-)
FDA approved drugs.
When Drug Companies Hide Data
It is outrageous that any company should have the power to
mislead doctors and their patients by stressing positive
results and hiding negative findings.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/06/opinion/06SUN2.html?th
This is definitely not on topic, but it is interesting how differently drug companies are allowed to advertise in the U.S.
The ads I see in U.S. mags, encouraging people to self-diagnose and ask docs for specific meds are illegal here.
I suspect that that drug company lobby, which is very peeved with Canada, has at least a bit of influence on this decision.
(Will Americans be forced to give up all the meds (like insulin) which were discovered in Canada?)
Yeah, and how about those lovely drug pushing comercials. Gotta love those!
I hear that au. That's some scary ****.
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace