Wednesday, April 28, 2004

From the Providence (RI) Journal:
Canadian pharmacy proposal gains momentum
As the House yesterday unanimously passed a bill that would remove the barriers in state law against sales by Canadian pharmacies to Rhode Island customers, Governor Carcieri, for the first time, indicated his support for the measure.

"The governor believes we need to begin to take direct action to reduce drug costs for Rhode Islanders," said Carcieri's spokesman, Jeff Neal. "He also believes and hopes that this will send a message to the federal government that the time to act [to reduce medication costs] is now."

From the News Review (OR):
Roseburg branch of Canada Drug Supply remains open -- for now
While two Lane County branches of Canada Drug Supply are closing under pressure from federal and state regulators, a Roseburg branch remains open, at least for the time being.

Chris and Racyne Willis, owners of Canada Drug at 178 N.W. Garden Valley Blvd., said although the store has a good client base, increased scrutiny from the government could put them out of business.

"We're under a lot of pressure," Chris Willis said. "But we're trying to keep things going."

From the Corvallis (OR) Gazette Times:
Drugstore crackdown miffs DeFazio
Congressman Peter DeFazio is protesting a state crackdown on businesses that help Oregonians get less expensive medications from Canada, and he challenged the governor to help.

"The Oregon Board of Pharmacy is cracking down on these drug outlets in the name of safety and protecting the health of Oregonians, but in reality the only thing they are protecting is the profits of the wealthy and politically connected pharmaceutical industry," the 4th District Democrat wrote in a letter to Gov. Ted Kulongoski.

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