Nelson Vergel
Founder, ExcelMale.com
Consider this: Sixty percent of Americans say lower drug costs should be a top priority, and a whopping 72 percent support the idea of importing medicines from Canada, according to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll. In fact, 8 percent of adults surveyed reported that they or someone in their household have already bought prescription drugs from outside the U.S.
Meanwhile, the cost of 20 widely used drugs is three times cheaper in Canadian than in New York pharmacies, according to PharmacyChecker.com, a website that vets overseas pharmacies and compares prices. And as drug makers regularly hike prices — sometimes to sky-high levels — or set steep price tags for the newest treatments, more American pocketbooks are pinched than ever before.
“The problem is getting worse,” said Rep. Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat who last week unsuccessfully attempted to stick an importation amendment onto a regulatory bill.
Yet from the time nearly two decades ago when seniors made headlines by taking buses to Canada to stock up, the pharmaceutical industry has stymied every attempt to allow Americans to import medicines. Drug makers have succeeded by exploiting fears over safety concerns. They’ve also lavished political contributions on members of Congress.
Source
Meanwhile, the cost of 20 widely used drugs is three times cheaper in Canadian than in New York pharmacies, according to PharmacyChecker.com, a website that vets overseas pharmacies and compares prices. And as drug makers regularly hike prices — sometimes to sky-high levels — or set steep price tags for the newest treatments, more American pocketbooks are pinched than ever before.
“The problem is getting worse,” said Rep. Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat who last week unsuccessfully attempted to stick an importation amendment onto a regulatory bill.
Yet from the time nearly two decades ago when seniors made headlines by taking buses to Canada to stock up, the pharmaceutical industry has stymied every attempt to allow Americans to import medicines. Drug makers have succeeded by exploiting fears over safety concerns. They’ve also lavished political contributions on members of Congress.
Source
