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States Hear Pitch for Importing Canadian Drugs

Posted on: Friday, 12 December 2003, 06:00 CST

By MARK NIESSE

ATLANTA (AP) -- About a dozen states said Thursday they are exploring ways to buy cheap prescription drugs from Canada and make them widely available to Americans, even though importing the medicines is illegal.

Representatives from the states met with five Canadian drug companies at an Atlanta hotel Thursday to hear their pitch on how to sell the drugs safely and within the law.

The meeting comes two days after Boston and New Hampshire announced their intention to purchase drugs from Canada.

The states at the meeting did not suggest they would make a similar move - buying Canadian drugs without government approval. But they want to find ways to persuade the Food and Drug Administration to allow more drug importation and eventually make it legal.

The Canadian drug companies told state officials they could offer dozens of drugs for as much as 40 percent to 60 percent less than they cost in the United States. Drugs in Canada are significantly cheaper because of government price controls.

"Drugs are cheaper in Canada - how do we bring these drugs into the states?" said Tom Susman, acting administration secretary for West Virginia. "If they work better, and the cost is cheaper, I think it's legitimate"

The FDA says it cannot guarantee the safety of imported medicines and has warned states about violating the law.

Only pharmaceutical companies are allowed to bring their drugs back into the United States. Canadian drug companies currently sell drugs to thousands of individual Americans, but federal regulators have chosen not to prosecute the individuals.

Numerous pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer Inc. (PFE) and Eli Lilly & Co., have tried to stop the flow of drugs from Canada into the United States by limiting the amount of medicines they sell north of the border.

Supporters of the idea charge that the FDA, the Bush administration and some influential lawmakers who are trying to undermine such efforts are being swayed by the politically powerful drug manufacturers.

The states considering ways to bring in Canadian drugs include Illinois, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Alabama, North Carolina, Vermont, Ohio, Delaware and Louisiana. They are looking north of the border to buy prescription drugs for their own employees and for people who are on Medicaid or other assistance programs.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Dennis Hastert on Thursday urged U.S. action to bring about changes in Canada's prescription drug price control policies, which he said were unfair to Americans.

Hastert, R-Ill., met with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick and pharmaceutical industry representatives to discuss on how to narrow the gap in prices that Canadians and Americans pay for their drugs.

"It's a very thorny problem, but if we don't solve the problem we just get ourselves in a more difficult situation," he said.

Zoellick indicated his office was not ready to pressure Canada.

"We're trying to get a sense of the scope of the problem and ways we can address it," he said.

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Associated Press Writer Jim Abrams contributed to this report.

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