Canadian Pharmacies Receive 30 Calls Daily For Nevada Prescription Rx Reimportation Program

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Also Included In: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 12 Jun 2006 - 20:00 PDT


The four Canadian online pharmacies licensed to sell prescription drugs to Nevada residents under a new state program each received an average of 30 telephone calls daily in the first month, and about one-third of the calls resulted in purchases, the Las Vegas Sun reports (Hansel, Las Vegas Sun, 6/6). Under the program, which was established under a state law enacted last year, Canadian pharmacists licensed by the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy can mail to state residents prescription drugs that appear in the Orange Book and HC-DPD, which list medications approved in the U.S. and Canada, respectively. Prescription drugs sold under the program must meet the manufacturing requirements of FDA and the Therapeutic Products Directorate of Health Canada; have a dosage that appears in the Orange Book and HC-DPD; and come from the onsite inventory systems of online Canadian pharmacies. In addition, Canadian pharmacists cannot mail prescription drugs in liquid, injectable or intravenous forms or medications that require refrigeration or other special handling during shipment. The state pharmacy board has inspected and approved four Canadian online pharmacies to participate in the program, and a Web site established by the state includes links to those pharmacies (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 5/8). The Web site has received about 100,000 hits in the past month, the Sun reports.

Comments
David MacKay -- business director for Ultra Care Pharmacy, which participates in the program -- said that most of the telephone calls the pharmacy has received involved questions rather than purchases. MacKay said that some Nevada Medicare beneficiaries have used the program as an alternative to the prescription drug benefit. "We're seeing a return of patients who did join Medicare and are unhappy with the caveats and the devil in the details," he said. State Rep. Barbara Buckley (D) said that she expects a report on the program within the next few months. She added, "I've gotten calls and emails from a lot of people who say they are so glad this has finally gone through" (Las Vegas Sun, 6/6).

Editorial
"U.S. drug manufacturers have few, if any, reasons to control medication prices in this country," but the Nevada program that allows state residents to purchase prescription drugs from Canadian pharmacies might prompt such action, a Las Vegas Sun editorial states. "In the month since Nevadans could legally mail-order prescription drugs from Canadian pharmacies, hundreds of orders have been placed, and Canadian druggists are reaching out to not only seniors but also other groups that need medicines," the editorial states. According to the editorial, pharmaceutical companies might "find reasons" to reduce prescription drug prices "if enough Americans -- as individuals and business owners -- show they are sick of paying high prices for their medications and seek lower-cost alternatives elsewhere" (Las Vegas Sun, 6/8).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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