Posted At 2theadvocate
By: Kyle Ardoin
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to an issue that is very dear to the hearts of our members and, indeed, every citizen in our state. While prescription drugs in America are often higher-priced than similar drugs in other countries, we must acknowledge that our drugs are the safest in the world. It is for this reason that we are most concerned about the legislation introduced by Sen. David Vitter, R-La., which allows the importation of drugs from outside the United States.
I must preface our position by saying that we believe Sen. Vitter is an honorable public servant who is working hard to address the problem of the high costs of prescription drugs. This legislation, however, is misdirected and potentially harmful to the very people it is intended to help.
A recent article in Forbes Magazine clearly states the ongoing potential and current risk of counterfeit drugs that are entering our country. Countries such as Brazil divide their drugs into three categories -- branded medicines sold by big-name firms, generics, which have to be tested in a similar fashion to American generic drugs, and Similares, which are medicines that drug-makers claim have the appropriate amounts of key ingredients but which are not tested in the body.
I represent independent pharmacists across the state, and our organization has a well-documented history of making safety a top priority for our customers. Sen. Vitter's bill will allow the unregulated importation of prescription drugs from such countries as Latvia, Estonia, South Africa and other developing countries. Our own Food and Drug Administration says it does not have the resources to regulate and investigate prescription drugs from countries such as France and Canada. How will we ever be able to certify safe medicines from these developing countries?
