Sanders Hails Victory Over Drug Giants on Reimportation

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http://bernie.house.gov/documents/releases/20030725140537.asp

 

Sanders Hails Victory Over Drug Giants on Reimportation

 

 

Washington, DC- Late last night the House sided with Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

and a bipartisan coalition in voting by a wide margin to allow Americans to

import less expensive, FDA-approved prescription medicines from Canada and

Europe. Sanders is one of the original proponents of reimportation as a way to

significantly lower drug prices in the U.S. In 1999 he was the first Member to

take constituents over the Canadian border to buy prescription drugs. He also

helped draft the winning legislation.

Sanders said, " Americans continue to pay - by far - the highest prices in the

world for prescription medications - in some cases 10 times more than do

citizens of other countries for the exact same medicines. The drug companies

have kept this system of discriminatory pricing alive by spending hundreds of

millions of dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions. Last night's

victory, however, shows that even all that money may not be enough to protect

the drug companies' gouging of American consumers. While the fight is not over,

last night's vote shows that the momentum is with those of us trying to lower

drug prices in the U.S. Americans are no longer going to accept having to spend

up to ten times more than consumers in Canada or Europe for the same

FDA-approved medicines produced in the same FDA-inspected facility. "

Under HR 2427, American wholesalers, pharmacists and individuals would be able

to purchase FDA-approved medicines -- manufactured in FDA-approved facilities --

at far lower prices abroad. The bill passed by a vote of 243-186 despite an

aggressive -- and often deceptive -- lobbying campaign by the drug companies,

and heavy pressure from the House Republican leadership and the White House

against reimportation.

Sanders concluded, " My goal has always be to see the pharmaceutical industry

substantially lower the cost of prescription drugs in this country. By allowing

wholesalers and pharmacists to purchase lower cost medicines in Canada and

elsewhere, Americans will be able to get lower price medicines at their local

drug store without having to go to Canada or elsewhere. "

Listen to Bernie's remarks about this important victory.

 

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