Minnesota
Congressman Gil Gutknecht leads battle to pass Market Access for
Prescription Drugs bill...Congressman Gutnecht explains his reasons
for support
The Problem
According to the Congressional Budget Office, American
seniors alone will spend $1.8 trillion dollars on prescription drugs
over the next ten years. Americans pay 30% to 300% more for prescription
drugs than citizens of other industrialized countries. This means
that Americans are financing the bulk of research and development
for prescription drugs yet pay the highest prices for those
drugs. Why is this? According to CRS, no other product
has the same regulations on reimportation - not even heavily
regulated industries such as chemicals, pollutants, and munitions.
On
October 28, 2000, the President signed the Medicine Equity and
Safety (MEDS) Act into law. It was the intent of Congress to allow
Americans to import prescription drugs into the U.S. Yet this
promise has been unfulfilled due to the "poison pill" included in
the Medicare bill passed in November. In addition, the language
allowing importation was stripped in the Australia Free Trade
Agreement.
The
Solution
The Gutknecht bill opens the market on prescription drugs by
allowing pharmacists, wholesalers, and individuals to import
FDA-approved prescription drugs manufactured in FDA-approved
facilities. This is the free market at its best.
Safety Concerns
Safety is a concern for everyone when it comes to prescription
drugs. The Gutknecht bill ends the wild west system that currently
exists for prescription drugs. This legislation increases safety
standards for all prescription drugs
sold in America by requiring manufacturers to use anti-counterfeit
labeling - the same technology that is used for U.S. currency. The
bill also includes language, written by the FDA, which requires
wholesalers to test each shipment unless the packaging uses
counterfeit-resistant technology.
Momentum Continues
On
May 4, 2004, HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson said that he would advise
the President not to stand in the way of making prescription drug
importation legal - in fact, he said he felt that importation was
"inevitable." Two of the largest drug store chains, CVS and
Walgreens, have come out in support of importation. On May 17, 2004,
239 Members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to Senate
Majority Leader Bill Frist asking him to schedule a vote on a
comprehensive drug importation bill. Eleven states and over 20
cities have implemented their own programs for prescription drug
importation.
A
similar bill I authored passed the House in July of 2003.
Unfortunately, the Senate failed to act. This year, I'm pleased to
have brokered an agreement with Senator David Vitter of Louisiana.
We introduced companion bills in both the House and Senate. Senate
co-sponsors include Sens. Jim DeMint of South Carolina, John Thune
of South Dakota and Ken Salazar of Colorado.
This is a new day in the debate over affordable pharmaceuticals. We
have joined forces with members of the Senate to say that this is an
idea whose time has come.
Minnesota
Congressman Gil Gutknecht leads battle to pass Market Access for
Prescription Drugs bill...Congressman Gutnecht explains his reasons
for support
