'Pennsylvania should join drug import program despite federal report'

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 23 Dec 2004 - 11:00 PDT

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State Rep Don Walko, D-North Side, said Pennsylvania should join a prescription drug importation program despite a negative report that the Bush administration issued Wednesday.

"If the Bush administration tries to stop a state from helping its taxpayers and people in need of medicine, the result would make the Boston Tea Party look like an actual tea party," Walko said.

According to today's Chicago Tribune, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich plans to continue his state's I-SaveRx program, which allows residents to purchase lower-cost, safe prescription drugs from Canada and Europe. Wisconsin, Missouri and Kansas have joined the program. Walko wants Pennsylvania to do the same, especially in light of reports this week about a looming deficit of $1 billion or more in the state's Medicaid program.

"It is unreasonable to expect Pennsylvania taxpayers to overpay millions of dollars for prescription drugs. If the Medicaid budget is going to be a problem, we need to look at the safe importation of medicine before we even think about tax increases or dropping people or benefits from this safety net," Walko said. "When you hear the scare stories of the Bush administration and the drug lobby, remember that the Bush administration recently imported millions of doses of flu vaccine from Germany."

As the recent legislative session was ending, Walko quickly secured close to 40 co-sponsors for a resolution (H.R. 931) urging Gov. Rendell to have Pennsylvania join the Illinois drug-importation program. Walko said Pennsylvania could do so at little cost - there would be no up-front cost, and only one or two Pennsylvania staffers would be needed.

"Illinois has set up a system that guarantees the safety of these drugs and breaks the drug companies' high-price border blockade," Walko said. "The state regulatory agencies inspect and approve pharmacies that participate in Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland. The Illinois inspectors go there in person. The pharmacies must pay a minimum fee of $400 to be approved. That helps to offset the cost of the inspectors' trips."

Walko said key elements of the program include:

-- I-SaveRx operates under a stringent system of quality controls and multiple safety checks.

-- I-SaveRx pharmacies are inspected and approved on a repeated basis by Illinois regulatory agencies.

-- I-SaveRx pharmacies in other countries follow the same standards as Illinois pharmacies.

-- Narcotic pain medications and medications that could spoil in transit are not included in the program.

-- The prescription drugs in the program will be ones that are packed and boxed by the manufacturers.

More information about I-SaveRx is available at http://www.i-saverx.net.

"In the long term, we need to take additional measures to help people afford their prescription drugs and to save taxpayers money on the cost of these drugs. But Pennsylvania can join the Illinois importation program now, and we should," Walko said.

ATTENTION RADIO NEWS DIRECTORS: An audio sound bite from Rep. Walko is available by calling 1-800-452-3001, then pressing 7220#. The sound bite is also available online in mp3 format at http://www.pahouse.com/mediacenter.

E W S R E L E A S E
State Rep. Don Walko
D-North Side
http://www.pahouse.com/Walko
CONTACT: Rep. Don Walko
Pittsburgh Office: 412-321-5523

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