Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Examines Developments Related to Prescription Drug Reimportation in Three States

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 16 Mar 2005 - 9:00 PDT

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USA - The... Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report examines recent developments related to prescription drug reimportation in three states. Summaries appear below.

• Illinois: Clear Channel Communications recently offered free billboard space in the Chicago area to advertise I-Save RX, a program that helps state residents purchase lower-cost prescription drugs from pharmacies and wholesalers in other nations, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Fewer than one in 1,000 state residents currently participate in I-Save RX. Officials for the Service Employees International Union and United Food and Commercial Workers also said that they plan to promote I-Save RX to their members, and Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) on Sunday "tried to drum up interest" in the program, the Sun-Times reports. Since Blagojevich announced the program last year, 3,000 residents from Illinois and other states have participated in I-Save RX. Blagojevich spokesperson Abby Ottenhoff said that some Illinois residents have confused I-Save RX with Rx for Illinois -- a prescription drug-assistance program launched by the pharmaceutical industry in November 2004. According to the Sun-Times, I-Save RX "has generated lots of free news coverage," but Rx for Illinois is "heavily promoted" in television advertisements. Illinois residents also have attributed the lack of participation in the I-Save RX to the time required to provide health information and receive prescriptions through the program (Ritter, Chicago Sun-Times, 3/14). In related news, Minnesota Senate Minority Leader Dick Day (R) on Thursday said that he plans to introduce legislation with state Rep. Laura Brod (R) to allow Minnesota residents to participate in I-Save RX (St. Paul Pioneer Press, 3/11).
  
  
• Montana: The state House on Thursday voted 82-18 to approve a bill (HR 364) that would establish a state prescription drug Web site to allow state pharmacies to import lower-cost prescription drugs from Canadian pharmacies that have registered with Montana officials, the Billings Gazette reports. Under the bill, which would cost $177,000 over the next two years, state officials could inspect registered Canadian pharmacies at any time. The legislation, sponsored by state Rep. Rick Maedje (R), also would allow the importation of prescription drugs from other nations, such as Israel, Australia and Chile. The bill also calls on Montana to develop a bulk prescription drug purchasing pool for state pharmacies. Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D), who "has made cheaper prescription drugs a top priority," has not indicated whether he supports the legislation, "but he clearly supports the concept," the Gazette reports (Farrell, Billings Gazette, 3/11).
  


• Nevada: State Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckly (D) on Thursday introduced a bill (AB 195) that would allow the State Board of Pharmacy to license Canadian pharmacies and list them on the Office for Consumer Health Assistance Web Site, the Nevada Appeal reports. Buckly said that the legislation would allow state residents to order as much as a three-month supply of medications at one time. The state Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee on March 16 will hold a hearing on the bill. Buckley also said that she plans to introduce legislation that would call on Congress to amend federal law to "provide meaningful prescription drug reform," the Appeal reports (Dornan, Nevada Appeal, 3/11).

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