Name (required):

  Expression ^{(Optional mood/title along with your name) Examples: (happy, sad, The Joyful, etc.) help)}

  E-mail address (optional):

Type your message here:
>Minnesota governor reviews Manitoba Internet pharmacy >industry > > >Associated Press > >©Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. >This material may not be published, broadcast, >rewritten, or redistributed. > E-mail this story > > > > > > > > >------------------------------------------------------- >------------------------- >ADVERTISEMENT > > > list of media outlets:Print publicationsAdvertiser >DemocratAroostook Republicanand NewsAssociated >PressBangor Daily NewsBar Harbor TimesBear FactsBethel >CitizenBiddeford-Saco-OOBCourierBoothbay >RegisterBridgton NewsCamden HeraldCape CourierCasco >Bay WeeklyCastine PatriotCoastal JournalCourier >GazetteCourier WeekendCurrentDown East >MagazineDowneast Coastal PressEastern GazetteEllsworth >AmericanEllsworth WeeklyForecasterFort Fairfield >ReviewFranklin JournalFree PressGorham TimesGray >NewsHoulton Pioneer TimesJournal TribuneKatahdin >TimesKennebec JournalLincoln County NewsLincoln County >WeeklyLincoln NewsLubec LightMachias >ValleyNews-ObserverMaine Coastal NewsMaine >TimesMainebizMidcoast Business MonthlyMoosehead >MessengerMorning SentinelMorning SentinelMount Desert >IslanderMunjoy Hill ObserverNeighborsNew Gloucester >NewsNorth Haven NewsNortheast Publishing Co.Penobscot >Bay PressPenobscot TimesPiscataquis ObserverPort City >LifePortland MonthlyPortland PhoenixPortland Press >Herald/Maine Sunday TelegramQuoddy TimesRangeley >HighlanderRepublican JournalRumford Falls TimesSaint >Croix CourierSanford NewsScarborough LeaderSouth >Portland/CapeElizabeth SentrySt.John Valley TimesStar >HeraldSuburban NewsSummer BeaconSun JournalSun >JournalThe Capital WeeklyThe WeeklyTimes RecordTopsham >CryerTown LineTurner PublishingTwin City >TimesWiscasset NewspaperYork County Coast StarYork >WeeklyAtlantic CoastguideBowdoin MagazineChristian >Civic League Rec.Employment TimesInterface Tech >NewsMaine Bar JournalMaine CampusMaine Commercial >&Bus. Oppportunity NewsMaine Gov. Reg./Code of Maine >RulesOut and AboutParent and FamilyUniversity Free >PressRadioWABI-AMWALZ-FMWAYD-FMWBCI-FMWBFB-FMWBLM-FMWBO >R-FMWBPW-FMWBQW-FMWBQX-FMWBZN-FMWCLZ-FMWCRQ-FMWCXX-FMWC >YI-FMWCYY-FMWDEA-AMWDME-FMWEGP-AMWERU-FMWEZQ-FMWFST-AMW >HCF-FMWHOM-FMWHSN-FMWJAB-AMWJBQ-FMWJJB-AMWKIT-FMWKRD-AM >WKSQ-FMWKTJ-FMWKTQ-AMWLAM-AMWLKE-FMWMCM-FMWMDR-AMWMEB-F >MWMED-FMWMEH-FMWMHB-FMWMPG-FMWMSJ-FMWOXO-FMWOZI-FMWPHX- >AMWPHX-FMWPKM-FMWQCB-FMWQDY-AMWQDY-FMWQSS-FMWRED-FMWSHD >-FMWSJB-FMWSYY-AMWSYY-FMWTBM-FMWTME-AMWUMF-FMWVOM-FMWWB >X-FMWWMJ-FMWWWA-FMWYFP-FMWZON-AMTelevisionSaco River >Community TVTime Warner Cable of >MaineWABI-TVWBGR-TVWCSH-TVWGME-TVWHEM-TVWLBZ-TVWMEB-TVW >MED-TVWMTW-TVWPME-TVWPXT-TVWVII-TV > > > >------------------------------------------------------- >------------------------- > > > >WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Minnesota´s governor, who wants >to help Americans link to Canadian Internet >pharmacies, is scheduled to visit Winnipeg on >Wednesday to see for himself how the industry works. > >Last month, Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced plans to help >people in his state buy cheaper drugs from Canada via >the Internet. Those plans would include negotiating >drug prices and setting up a web site linking >Minnesotans to Canadian pharmacies that meet state >standards. > >On Wednesday, he was to tour CanadaDrugs.com, where >operators fill up to 1,700 prescriptions a day, mostly >destined for the United States. Pawlenty also planned >to meet with members of the Canadian International >Pharmacists Association and Premier Gary Doer. > >Pawlenty said he wanted to look into the possibility >of importing drugs from Canada and wished to inspect >safety measures in Manitoba, the hotbed of the >Canadian Internet pharmacy industry. > >It´s estimated that more than 1 million Americans >order drugs from Canada. In the Canadian border state >of Maine, pharmacies report noticeable losses of sales >because thousands of Mainers are buying cheaper drugs >over the Internet from Canada. > >Manitoba raises the U.S. equivalent of more than $100 >million in taxes from Internet sales. > >The U.S. Food and Drug Administration opposes the >importation of drugs from Canada and other countries, >claiming that some drugs don´t meet U.S. >specifications on refrigeration and labeling. > >Also opposed are big pharmaceutical companies, who say >the lost revenue from American sales will stifle their >research into new drug treatments. Four drug >companies, including Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKlein, have >begun limiting supply to Canada to curb exporting. > >But Pawlenty isn´t alone in his desire to gain access >to the Canadian drug market. > >More and more state and local governments are trying >to help Americans who can´t afford the high cost of >prescription drugs by coming to Canada, where the >lower Canadian dollar and regulated prices make the >same drugs more affordable. > >In Maine, the Penobscot Indians, AFL-CIO and Maine >Council of Senior Citizens are looking into >establishing a drug importation program in which >medicines would be shipped from Canada to the >Penobscots´ reservation in Old Town and distributed >from there. > >Last month, the governor of Illinois sent a delegation >to Manitoba on a fact-finding mission and then >launched a web site with information about buying >drugs from Canadian companies. Michigan, Wisconsin and >Iowa are also looking into the issue. > >Doer said it´s vital that American legislators see for >themselves how safe the industry is. > >"I think it´s very useful for him to come," Doer said >of Pawlenty. "Getting more comfortable with the >consumer safety issues is more helpful to the industry >generally." > >Opposition to the international pharmacy industry has >been brewing in Canada, where some pharmacists believe >it will lead to higher prices and a shortage of drugs >in their country. > >Robert Fraser, director of pharmacy for >CanadaDrugs.com, said there´s no evidence so far that >there´s been a shortage, adding that if it ever came >to that, his company would sell to Manitobans first. > >Next year´s U.S. presidential election is also adding >urgency to the debate, he said.

Notice: Copies of your message may remain on this and other systems on internet. Please be respectful.