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The results come at a critical time,
when the U.S. Congress is negotiating the final language of a
Medicare package and the FDA is under increasing pressure to let
states and local governments design prescription drug plans that
include cheaper drugs from other countries. Blagojevich and Emanuel
will use the report to demonstrate that major savings could be
realized by including an importation provision similar to that
contained in the Emanuel-sponsored Pharmaceutical Market Access Act
that was passed by the House earlier this year.
"We suspected that consumers could save
money if we imported prescription drugs from Canada, but we didn't
expect the savings would be this significant. And we suspected that
the Canadian procedures for distributing, labeling and handling
prescription drugs were safe, but we didn't expect them in some
cases to be even safer than the procedures we use here in the United
States. Our report shows -- when you study the issue and look at the
facts -- the FDA's excuse of safety is a red herring," said
Blagojevich.
"I hope that the Medicare conferees in
Washington look carefully at the results of this study and realize
that drug importation can make a difference in the type of Medicare
benefit we can offer and make a difference in the burden on
taxpayers and states," Emanuel said. "This study validates what
millions of Americans already know -- taking advantage of world
market prices for prescription drugs saves money."
After six weeks of intensive research
and meetings with stakeholders in the pharmaceutical importation
issue -- including pharmacists and regulators in the U.S. and
Canada, Canadian health officials, representatives of the
pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, consumer groups and the FDA
-- Illinois' special advocates on prescription drugs released an
85-page report outlining their findings.
The state of Illinois and its employees
and retirees could realize a combined savings of $90.7 million
annually if all eligible prescriptions were filled through a
Canadian mail-order plan. Employees and retirees enrolled in the
plan using three prescriptions a month would save up to $1,008 per
year on their prescription co-payments. The burden on taxpayers who
fund the state's prescription program would be reduced by $56.5
million, down 16.6 percent from last year's cost of $340 million.
In addition, the report indicates that
Canada's drug regulation and distribution systems meet American
standards in every way.
--The Canadian regulatory system
provides health and safety protections that are substantially
equivalent to those provided in the state of Illinois.
--Drugs sold in Canadian pharmacies are
manufactured in facilities approved by Health Canada.
--Though not identical in statutory and
regulatory text, both countries' methods of ensuring safety and
efficacy of prescription drugs are comparable.
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this article] |
--The United States and Canada have
comparable requirements at virtually every level for the warehousing
and storage of pharmaceuticals.
--The educational requirements for
licensed pharmacists in the Canadian provinces visited -- Ontario
and Manitoba -- are as rigorous as those of Illinois.
--The professional regulation of
pharmacists in Ontario and Manitoba appears to be as rigorous as
professional regulation of pharmacists in Illinois.
--Reporting of incidents involving
internal process errors was more rigorous in Manitoba and Ontario
than in Illinois.
--Canadian pharmacies fill
prescriptions in amounts supplied by the manufacturer in sealed
containers only. They do not open manufacturer-supplied containers,
count and repackage to fill the prescription as done in the United
States. This provides an added measure of safety.
The report's findings on the safety of
Canada's system reinforce the position of Gov. Blagojevich, Rep.
Emanuel and other elected officials who have been pushing to open
the Canadian market to American consumers. Already, more than 1
million Americans a year buy their medications from Canada, and the
FDA cannot cite a single incident of harm or death resulting from
problems with Canadian drugs.
"And so today, based on the findings of
this report, I am sending a letter to the FDA and to the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, formally requesting that
they permit the state of Illinois to import prescription drugs from
Canada. I hope they say yes. But just in case, we will continue to
work with Congressman Rahm Emanuel to help him in his efforts to
pass legislation that directs the FDA to change its mind and reverse
its policy. It's time the FDA stops protecting the big drug
companies; it's time they start helping people," said Blagojevich.
In addition to formalizing his request
to HHS and the FDA, Blagojevich also renewed his call for American
consumers to join him in pressing the federal government to open
access to lower prescription drug prices by reversing its position
on drug importations. Earlier this month he launched a
website and online
petition and a toll-free number, 1 (866) 296-6322, to give the
public a forum for voicing their support for legalized prescription
drug importation.
"If you
think you should be allowed to buy your medicine at a lower price,
let the FDA know. Log on to our website, sign our electronic
petition and let your voice be heard. Let the FDA know that they
work for you. You don't work for them," Blagojevich urged.
[Illinois
Government News Network
news release] |
