Health Alert 118
If I told you that you could save a lot of money on your prescription drugs, would you want to know how?
A bill just passed in the House that would allow you to purchase your prescriptions from Canada and Europe with huge savings. The next step is for the Senate to pass the bill. This is not a simple task. 53 senators have said they will oppose it.
In this letter I’ll tell you more about this proposed law and how you can support it.
* An Uphill Battle *
If the Senate passes The Pharmaceutical Market Access Act of 2003 (H.R. 2427), it will allow you to buy lower-priced prescription drugs from other countries. Prices in Europe are far more affordable. Take a look at the chart below to see how prices compare.
Drug Price Comparison Chart1
|
Drug
|
Quantity
|
Potency
|
U.S. Price
|
Europe’s Price
|
|
Augmentin
|
12
|
500 mg
|
$52.62
|
$9.89
|
|
Claritin
|
20
|
10 mg
|
$63.88
|
$6.10
|
|
Glucophage
|
50
|
850 mg
|
$74.32
|
$4.40
|
|
Pravachol
|
28
|
10 mg
|
$85.62
|
$27.00
|
|
Prozac
|
14
|
20 mg
|
$56.62
|
$14.80
|
|
Sunthroid
|
50
|
100 mcg
|
$23.32
|
$3.14
|
|
Zestril
|
60
|
5 mg
|
$65.68
|
$9.73
|
|
Zocor
|
28
|
20 mg
|
$118.68
|
$48.36
|
There is no denying that U.S. prices are artificially maintained at these grossly inflated prices by FDA regulations. Since the drug industry and the FDA cannot argue against this point, they have resorted to scare tactics as their strategy to defeat this bill. They have been using their huge profits to intensely lobby Congress to vote it down. And, they are using some ludicrous arguments.
They are claiming that by allowing importation we are making the U.S. vulnerable to terrorism. This is a pure scare tactic. The bill provides for the use of counterfeit-resistant packaging approved by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. This agency oversees the technologies that secure US currency.
Many drugs sold in the United States are synthesized in other countries anyway.2 So, how are we at greater risk for contamination or terrorism by purchasing the same drugs produced in the same places at lower prices? We’re not.
The drug companies have resorted to smear tactics against anyone who supports the bill. Reverend Jerry Falwell has been the point man for this approach. He has claimed the bill will increase abortions. He has tried to discredit the characters of people who support this bill. Regardless of how you feel about abortion, it has nothing to do with this bill.
The drug industry has spent millions of dollars campaigning against this bill to continue to enjoy enormous profits. If passed, the bill will save American consumers $635 billion each year.3 That is the only threat this bill holds. It is a threat to the drug industry’s profits.
* Write Your Senators *
Opponents doubted if this bill would pass the House, but it did by a margin of 243 to 186. I believe it passed because of the flood of support from ordinary Americans. These supporters flooded their Congressional representatives with emails, faxes, and phone calls.
Now is the time to exercise your civic power in the Senate. Write to your senators and tell them to support The Pharmaceutical Market Access Act of 2003 (H.R. 2427).
Go to www.senate.gov to obtain the names and addresses of the two senators for your state. Urge them to pass this bill.
Al Sears, MD
1. Faloon, William. “Jerry Falwell Attacks Life Extension Foundation,” Life Extension, October 2003: 17.
2. Faloon, William. “Jerry Falwell Attacks Life Extension Foundation,” Life Extension, October 2003: 23.
3. H.R 2427 approved by the U.S. House of Representatives. http://Thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c108cCOZzm