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>Manitoba, Canada Pharmacy and Six U.S. State Pharmacy >Organizations Speak Out on Importation in Washington, >DC on Eve of Medicare Vote >Friday November 21, 7:00 am ET >Representatives from Both Sides of the Border Call on >Congress to Put Safety, Legal Considerations First and >Reject Drug Importation > > >WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- An international >pharmacy alliance made up of six U.S. state >pharmacists organizations and one Canadian pharmacist >group from Manitoba assembled on Capitol Hill today to >urge Congress not to pass a drug importation measure >within the Medicare reform bill. The Canadian/American >group believes that allowing medicines to come into >the United States from Canada not only undermines the >strict importation guidelines of FDA that are designed >to protect American consumers, but also places an >immense strain on Canada's ability to provide >prescription drugs for their citizens. >ADVERTISEMENT > > >Manitoba pharmacists believe that allowing U.S. states >and municipalities to purchase medicines in bulk from >Manitoba Internet drug distributors is causing severe >shortages of both community pharmacists and needed >prescription drugs, thrusting the province into a >health crisis. "What American politicians such as >Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and Springfield, >Massachusetts Mayor Michael Albano are doing is >shifting their problems onto the people of Manitoba," >said Michele Fontaine, Vice President of the Coalition >for Manitoba Pharmacy. "As a result of illegal >importation, pharmacists across the province are >already reporting drug shortages and prices are >increasing for the first time in years. We understand >that U.S. cities and states are struggling with >prescription drug prices. And we truly sympathize. >However, to embark on a drug program that disregards >the welfare of Canadian patients is just bad policy." > >"Canadian importation essentially fragments and >reduces the level of pharmaceutical care to patients," >said Scott Drabant, RPh, President of the Illinois >Pharmacists Association. "Under a congressionally >sanctioned importation plan, our most vulnerable and >chronically ill Illinois citizens will be forced to >deal with multiple pharmacies via the Internet or >telephone. This is an unacceptable means of providing >pharmacy care to patients." > >"Pharmacists are the gatekeepers between very powerful >medicines and patients," said Craig M. Burridge, M.S., >CAE, Executive Director of the Pharmacists Society of >the State of New York. "To allow patients to bypass >this safety mechanism and purchase their medications >from an Internet vendor is reckless health policy. The >outcome for New Yorkers could be catastrophic." > >Pharmacist organizations in states like Texas and >California are concerned that medicines obtained >through Internet drug distributors could be harmful or >even lethal. > >"The FDA and Health Canada cannot guarantee quality or >even authenticity medicines obtained via foreign >Internet pharmacies," said James L. Martin, Executive >Director and CEO, Texas Pharmacy Association. >"Internet operations like those in Manitoba or Mexico >open our drug supply to improperly packaged, >transported or even counterfeit medicines." > >"We have heard from at least one California patient >about illegally imported insulin arriving in warm >temperatures after sitting for days in moving boxes at >U.S. Customs," said Michael J. Negrete, PharmD, >Associate VP, Clinical Affairs, California Pharmacists >Association. "FDA is reporting that over 80 percent of >the imported medicines the agency inspected at four >major ports of entry were either not up to standard or >were counterfeit. In addition, The Washington Post >recently exposed several deaths related to drugs >purchased abroad over the internet. With these facts >in mind, why would our lawmakers allow a dangerous >practice like importation to become legal?" > >With Congress approaching a vote on this issue, >Louisiana and Virginia Pharmacists representatives are >calling on members to carefully consider the >ramifications of allowing imported drugs to flow in >from Internet pharmacies. > >"If we allow drugs to be imported from Canada, or any >other nation, the guidance and protections that >pharmacists provide patients will be absent," said >Richard "Andy" Souileau, PharmD, founding member, >Louisiana Independent Pharmacies Association. "For >instance, if an individual is taking multiple >medications, patients will not have someone carefully >monitoring for potential drug interaction issues. I'm >sure if members of Congress like Rep. Gutknecht fully >understood how Internet pharmacies work, he would not >support legalizing importation." > >"Congress needs to make the right decision on this >matter and place the safety of patients first," said >Rebecca P. Snead, Pharmacist, Executive Director, >Virginia Pharmacists Association. "One incident of >illness or death as a result of substandard, tainted >or counterfeit medicines is one too many. Importation >is not the solution to making drugs more affordable >for seniors. In fact, the most expensive medication is >the one that doesn't work, or worse, causes harm." > >The Coalition for Manitoba Pharmacy was formed by >Manitoba community pharmacists concerned about the >impact of the fast-growing international Internet >pharmacy trade on Manitoba health care and on the >pharmacy profession. > >The California Pharmacists Association's mission is to >advocate the role of Pharmacy as essential in the >healthcare marketplace by effecting solutions that are >relevant to its constituencies. > >The Illinois Pharmacists Association is the state's >largest and oldest organization representing pharmacy. >Members consist of independent retail and chain store >pharmacists, hospital and long-term care pharmacists, >and pharmacy technicians. > >The Louisiana Independent Pharmacies Association is a >group of over 260 pharmacies across Louisiana that >have banded together to create a collective voice on >issues that affect them most. A grassroots movement >for Independent Community pharmacy that now has a >strong voice in the Louisiana state legislature, with >the public, and the medical community. > >The Pharmacists Society of the State of New York is a >124-year-old not- for-profit incorporated society that >represents the pharmacist profession and is the >largest pharmacy association in New York State. > >The Texas Pharmacy Association is dedicated to the >promotion of the pharmacy profession, encouraging and >enabling pharmacists to build and maintain innovative >pharmacy practices that meet the healthcare needs of >their patients, and improving patient outcomes and >public health. > >The Virginia Pharmacists Association has represented >pharmacists of all practice settings in the >Commonwealth of Virginia since 1881. The purpose of >the Association is to assure the viability and >vitality of the profession of pharmacy by advocating >for pharmacists in legislative, regulatory and public >affairs. The focus of advocacy shall be to maximize >contributions of the profession to public health and >patient care, and to increase public awareness of the >value of pharmacists' services. > > > > >------------------------------------------------------- >------------------------- >Source: Coalition for Manitoba Pharmacy; California >Pharmacists Association; Illinois Pharmacists >Association; Louisiana Independent Pharmacies >Association; Pharmacists Society of the State of New >York; Texas Pharmacy Association; Virginia Pharmacists >Association > >Email this story - Set a News Alert

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