Posted At Twin Cities Pioneer Press
BY : R.A. Dillon
A program that lets Wisconsin residents order prescription drugs from Canada has been extended for two more years, Gov. Jim Doyle announced Friday.
The program, launched in 2004, allows residents to use a state Web site to order drugs from three pre-approved Canadian pharmacies.
"Over the past two years, this Web site has proven that buying drugs from Canada is a safe and affordable option that should be available to more people," Doyle said.
The program was scheduled to expire Friday. Under the terms of the extension, the state will again send inspectors to approve each pharmacy.
From February 2004 to November 2005, 4,704 orders covering 7,491 prescriptions were placed through www. drugsavings.wi.gov, Doyle said. In that period, the site received an average of 298 visits per day.
All three pharmacies have licenses in good standing with the relevant Canadian licensing bodies, Doyle said.
Drugs in Canada can be about 40 percent cheaper than those in the United States.
The Bush administration opposes prescription drug imports, and federal regulators warn they cannot guarantee the safety of drugs from outside U.S. borders. Doyle said Wisconsin's experiences prove otherwise.
"None of the dire predictions of the Bush administration has come true. It is time for the president and Congress to lift the restrictions on safe reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada," Doyle said.
Canada has dismissed U.S. concerns about the safety of drugs sold in Canada, saying Canada's regulatory regime was tougher than the U.S. one.
The program mandates that a patient's initial prescription be filled through a local pharmacy to ensure there are no adverse reactions to the drug. But patients can order refills from the three Canadian pharmacies.
The program permits patients to order only non-refrigerated name-brand drugs since generic drugs are usually cheaper domestically.
The three pharmacies are CanadaDrugs.com Partnership of Winnipeg, Manitoba; Total Care Pharmacy Ltd. of Calgary, Alberta; and Granville Pharmacy of Vancouver, British Columbia.
