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Governor Vilsack’s call for use of Canadian prescriptions positive response to meeting needs of seniors, rural area and strapped states (Special
to Iowa Media) September 30,2003—The move by Iowa Governor Tom Vilack to
study the savings of making
low-cost, high-quality prescription drugs available to Iowans is a
positive response to a series of needs. Cockerill points to a recent study by the Center for American Progress, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank headed by John Podesta, former Chief of Staff for President Clinton. In
that study, released only earlier this month, it was pointed out that
rural seniors are twice as likely to lack any type of prescription drug
coverage as those in urban areas, Cockerill notes.
“The
financial challenges facing state governments makes the ordering of
prescriptions from Canada a valid alternative, offering needed savings
made possible, with no loss in quality or safety of prescriptions,”
Cockerill continues. “Reputable
Canadian pharmacies have empowered American seniors especially by
utilizing the Internet to offer low-cost, high-quality prescriptions,”
says Cockerill. Cockerill explains that prescriptions prepared by reputable Canadian pharmacies on the Internet are approved by Canadian regulators and must meet the highest standards of quality and safety. “It
is this commitment to quality, safety and low-cost that has caused the
American pubic to turn to pharmacies such as ours and our site at www.UniversalDrugStore.com
in growing numbers,” Cockerill continues.
He says that it is only a natural course of events that the realities of the marketplace will lead to moves such as those proposed by Governor Vilsack. Already, at least one municipality in Massachussetts, and earlier this month, Illinois and Minnesota announced they are going to conduct studies such as that proposed by Governor Vilack. Cockerill is aware that Governor Vilsack will be the target of some criticism and charges, much of it unfounded. The Food and Drug Administration says that the sale of prescriptions via the Internet might be illegal, but according to one national news report, it allows its own employees to purchase such prescriptions. Also, in July, the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to approve an amendment to the FDA appropriations bill urging the FDA not to attempt to block the sale of prescriptions over the Internet. The House has also approved a bill allowing the reimportation of prescriptions from Canada, and a number of seniors groups has arranged bus trips for their members into Canada to purchase prescriptions. “All
of these factors illustrate that there is a growing groundswell of support
for the freedom of choice that Canadian pharmacies such as Universal Drug
Store can offer the American public,” Cockerill explains.
“Now, Governor Vilack has illustrated that the same
considerations that have caused Americans to use Canadian pharmacies as
individuals have had their decision validated by evolving public
policy.”
Four pharmaceutical companies have threatened to stop sales of their medicines in Canada unless sales by Canadian pharmacies to American consumers are ended. The result has been an ongoing public protest with implications for the 2004 elections. Another impact has been to increase interest in the use of generics from Canadian pharmacies, increasing the savings even more. Cockerill
has one word of counsel for the Iowa Governor:
know your supplier. Universal Drugstore Ltd. is a fully licensed Canadian Pharmacy, with Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association license |
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