European drug importation trip just for show?

Governor sending staff to Europe      

From Sen. Bill Brady

[APRIL 26, 2004]  The governor wants to send half-dozen staffers from his office to Europe for two weeks to study the possibility of importing prescription drugs -- despite the fact that the federal government prohibits such practices. And the governor seems to be ignoring the potential risk of drugs imported from countries that are not regulated by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

I think a statement by a FDA spokesman sums it up well. In media reports, Peter Pitts of the FDA said, “The only thing the governor's going to get from a trip to Europe is frequent flier miles. This is about political headlines rather than public safety and public health, and that's unfortunate. How can you guarantee the safety of drugs that are coming from over a dozen countries that you don't regulate?”

So importing drugs is not legal and not safe, but the governor thinks he needs to send six people to Europe for two weeks. Are Illinois taxpayers picking up the tab for this jaunt?

[Sen. Bill Brady, 44th District]

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