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Politics : A US National Health Care System? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lazarus_Long who wrote (557)	2/21/2005 4:15:44 PM
From: fresc	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42652

LAZ! I work in the Canadian health system, so save it! I am sure there is some Canadian problems. But it is well documented that the FDA and Big Pharma have there hands in each others pockets. We have pulled many drugs off canadian markets <You've told us how vigilantly they protect you and how honest they are> I never said that! You are the one saying how great your system is and it is the best in the world and so on.... Who has judged my post as minimal? YOU or PETE? Once again I provided facts for you. You should be defending seniors!

To: Lazarus_Long who wrote (557)	2/21/2005 4:19:19 PM
From: fresc	Respond to of 42652

Governor's Race Sheds Light on Drug Cost Issues (Source: Indianapolis Star) From the article: At the risk of introducing a late-breaking positive note into the campaign for governor, we should all thank both Gov. Joe Kernan and Mitch Daniels for making health care a hot issue -- especially the cost of prescription medication and drug reimportation. Two weeks ago, Kernan endorsed drug reimportation, reversing his August position. The Democrat now believes that if the federal government doesn't act by March 1, the state should help Hoosiers get medications from Canada... Indiana's United Senior Action, with 15,000 members, is among that group. The nonprofit, which focuses on public policy, sent representatives to Canadian pharmacies a few years ago...

To: Lazarus_Long who wrote (557)	2/21/2005 4:20:45 PM
From: fresc	Respond to of 42652

Op/Ed: Kernan Stands Up for Us on Prescription Drugs Op/Ed: Kernan Stands Up for Us on Prescription Drugs (Source: Munster Times) From the editorial: We all know friends and family who have to resort to taking the bus to Canada because of the exorbitant cost of prescription drugs. For instance, a one month's supply of Prevacid here is $147.53, compared to $44.27 in Canada. The same with Zocor: a month's supply here is $142.53 compared to just $48.70 in Canada. Of the two candidates for governor, only Joe Kernan gets it. He's willing to stand up to the big drug companies and will support importation of cheap, safe pharmaceuticals if the feds and the pharmaceutical industry don't lower prices.

To: Lazarus_Long who wrote (557)	2/21/2005 4:22:35 PM
From: fresc	Respond to of 42652

Michigan Lawmakers Who Oppose Reimportation Get Windfall from Drug Makers (Source: Detroit Free Press) From the article: Drug companies gave generously to many Michigan lawmakers this election, but those who oppose the reimportation of drugs from Canada got a much larger windfall than others. Fifteen drug companies gave a total of $134,744 to ten U.S. House and Senate members from Michigan as of Oct. 13... Ninety-five percent of that total -- $128,189 -- went to five U.S. House members who oppose reimportation. Drug companies, along with President Bush and the Food and Drug Administration, oppose reimportation because they say there's no way to guarantee the safety of drugs coming in from other countries. Supporters say that's a scare tactic designed to protect drug companies' profits.

To: Lazarus_Long who wrote (557)	2/21/2005 4:23:40 PM
From: fresc	Respond to of 42652

Pfizer Exec: Canadian Drug Imports Safe Pfizer Exec: Canadian Drug Imports Safe - Retirees Group Backs Kernan, Reimportation (Source: South Bend Tribune) From the article: The regulated reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada would pose no safety risk to American consumers, according to a pharmaceutical company executive who stumped here Monday for Governor Joe Kernan. The executive, Peter Rost (a physician and marketing executive at pharmaceutical giant Pfizer), said reimportation is common and safe in Europe, where northern European countries buy cheaper prescription drugs from southern European countries. ...Rost said the safety flag being waved by the pharmaceutical industry and federal regulators is not supported by the record. "The fact is," he said, "that reimportation of drugs has been done in Europe for over 20 years." Kernan spoke at a nursing home where he accepted an endorsement from the Indiana Alliance for Retired Americans, which reports 93,000 Hoosier members. The group's president, Elmer Blankenship, said America imports drugs from 60 countries without ill effect and should open its doors to lower-priced drugs from Canada. "Viagra comes from Sweden," he said. "Nobody's worried about that."