Posted At Reuters.com
BY : Reuters
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill on Thursday that would have required the state's health department to create a Web site to allow consumers to buy prescription drugs from pharmacies in Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Echoing the Bush administration's view of drug imports, Schwarzenegger wrote in his veto statement that he had safety concerns."I am concerned that this bill would establish a mechanism to facilitate an illegal practice, expose the state to potential tort liability, and potentially jeopardize patient safety," Schwarzenegger wrote.
California Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres described the Republican governor's veto as "another brutal blow to California's seniors and others living on fixed incomes and those without health insurance."
Schwarzenegger said in his written statement his administration would work to help uninsured Californians get access to "safe, legal and affordable" prescription drugs.Amid rising health-care costs, a number of U.S. states and local governments have demanded the federal government allow prescription drugs, which often cost less abroad, to be imported.Washington state Gov. Christine Gregoire earlier this year signed a bill to allow retail pharmacies in her state to import prescription drugs from wholesalers in Canada as well as Britain and Ireland.
The federal government must lift its ban on pharmaceutical imports before the Washington state law can take effect.
