Tuesday, March 30, 2004

From the Portsmouth (NH) Herald:
Benson: Canadian pharmacy a safe source for drugs
Gov. Craig Benson gave his stamp of approval to a Canadian mail-order pharmacy Monday, saying it is a safe alternative for state residents who can’t afford to fill their prescriptions in the United States.

Benson and Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner John Stephen sent two pharmacists to investigate CanadaDrugs.com, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, last month.

From MLive.com (Mich.):
Lilly steps up battle against Canadian Internet pharmacies
Eli Lilly and Co. has escalated its campaign to curb Canadian drug reimportation by requiring Canadian Internet pharmacies to tell Lilly how much of Lilly's drugs they order from wholesalers or possibly be cut off from supplies.

In a letter to Canadian Internet drug retailers and Lilly's authorized Canadian wholesalers, the Indianapolis-based company outlined a policy to help Lilly more closely track cross-border flow of its drugs, Lilly spokesman Ed Sagebiel said Tuesday.

From the Baltimore Sun:
Senate pursues drugs plan
The Maryland Senate took a step Tuesday toward helping thousands of residents buy lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada, granting preliminary approval to legislation requiring state health officials to seek federal permission for an importation plan.

Prescription medications can be 50 percent cheaper in Canada, where they are purchased by the national government at a lower price. U.S. law prohibits individuals or governments from buying foreign medications, but Maryland could join a growing number of states bucking that rule.

From the Palm Beach (FL) Post:
County considering using medicines from Canada
County commissioners are exploring ways to supply their employees with low-price prescription drugs from Canada despite warnings from their attorneys that the imports are illegal under federal law.

"The fact of the matter is we are paying too much for our drugs," said Commissioner Burt Aaronson, who pushed for staff to research the issue.

The county is not alone in looking to Canada for relief from soaring health-care costs. Cities in Massachusetts and Vermont are defying the law by purchasing brand-name drugs from Canada. Aside from the savings, it's a movement to put pressure on the prescription drug industry and Congress to lower drug prices.

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