SNOWE AND DORGAN CALL ON MAJORITY LEADER TO ALLOW SENATE TO TAKE UP PRESCRIPTION DRUG IMPORT BILL
October 10, 2006
WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME) and Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) today released an October 6th letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist calling for open debate on allowing Americans to access lower priced imported prescription drugs.
In a July letter to Senator Frist, Senators Snowe and Dorgan, coauthors of S. 334, the Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act, joined by Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and John McCain (R-AZ) requested a vote on their legislation prior to the September recess. That letter was never answered nor acknowledged.
Today, Snowe and Dorgan put Frist on notice they intend to move the legislation to the Senate floor with or without him when the Senate returns in November.
“We have waited for more than two years for the Senate to consider this issue,” Dorgan and Snowe wrote in their letter to Frist. “The needs of millions who rely on importation cannot continue to be postponed, so we will consider all means available to ensure that the full Senate finally considers this legislation when Congress reconvenes after the November election.”
“The cost of inaction on this legislation is being felt by millions of Americans who are forced to pay higher costs for essential medication rather than a safe affordable alternative,” Senator Snowe said. “We have a responsibility to the American people to, at the very least, debate this issue on the floor of the Senate and consider legislation that could help the American people receive the prescription drugs they need. We have asked the Majority Leader to recognize the importance of this issue and give it the consideration it deserves, and quite frankly, the American people deserve.”
“Americans pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs and they do so because the big drug companies have the ability to monopoly price their product,” Senator Dorgan said. “Allowing Americans access to lower priced prescription medicines from other countries would save billions, and would do so primarily by introducing a little price competition into the market place for prescription drugs.”
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The Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act has 34 cosponsors and has garnered broad support from over 30 groups, including AARP and Families USA. The legislation would allow individuals to directly order medications from outside the U.S. when using a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-registered and approved Canadian pharmacy. FDA would examine, register and inspect these facilities on a frequent basis. It would also allow U.S. licensed pharmacists and wholesalers to import FDA-approved medications from a number of major industrialized nations and pass along the savings to their customers. The FDA would also ensure the highest standards for such essential functions as recording medical history, verifying prescriptions, and tracking shipments.
The following is the text of an October 6th letter sent to Majority Leader Frist by Senators Snowe and Dorgan:
Dear Majority Leader Frist:
We are disappointed that the Senate has failed to debate and vote on legislation to ensure Americans have access to more affordable, FDA-approved prescription drugs from Canada and other highly developed countries. We are writing to let you know that it is our intent to ensure that this issue is debated when the Senate reconvenes after the November election.
In July, we sent you a letter asking you to schedule time to debate the Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act. This legislation, which we introduced with Senators Kennedy, Grassley, Stabenow and McCain, would ensure American consumers have access to more affordable, FDA-approved prescription drugs. Despite our previous discussions with you regarding this legislation, no response to our request has been received from your office.
When you met with us in May 2004, you acknowledged that the Senate must address this issue before adjourning in October 2004. Two years later, we are still waiting for the debate. We also understand that you stated your willingness to schedule floor time to consider standalone legislation on drug importation, should an amendment supporting drug importation achieve 60-vote support on the Senate floor. In July, we had that test vote. More than two-thirds of the Senate voted to give American consumers access to more affordable prescription drugs from Canada.
For too long, Americans have paid the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs, particularly the more than 46 million Americans who lack any form of drug coverage. While millions of Americans have been importing prescription drugs to obtain affordable therapy, the federal government has failed to place safeguards in place to protect consumers from rogue Internet pharmacies which have exploited the established safety of Canadian and other sources on which Americans have relied. It is now time to see that our legislation is considered by the full Senate so that a safe and effective system is in place to serve and protect American consumers.
We have waited for more than two years for the Senate to consider this issue. The needs of millions who rely on importation cannot continue to be postponed, so we will consider all means available to ensure that the full Senate may finally consider this legislation when Congress reconvenes after the November election. We hope you will join us to see that this critical legislation is considered.
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