Illinois Unlikely to Get OK on Canada Drug Imports

[Judi Lynn]

Illinois Unlikely to Get OK on Canada Drug Imports
Mon December 22, 2003 11:59 AM ET

By Kim Dixon
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The U.S. health secretary is not likely to grant Illinois or any other state permission to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada, a spokesman for the U.S. health secretary said on Monday.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is asking the federal government for a waiver that would let the state experiment with importing prescription drugs from Canada. Under a new Medicare law, to get a waiver that would allow a state to import drugs, the U.S. health secretary must certify their safety.

The stance of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson --- that it is too risky to import prescriptions -- has not changed, according to Bill Pierce, a spokesman for Thompson.

"The secretary has said on the record, 'I cannot guarantee the safety', and he sees no evidence has come to light where he'd change that position," Pierce said of Thompson.
(snip/...)

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=4032490

[wryter2000]

1. Prediction

Illinois goes for the Dem candidate in the general election.

Ka-ching!

[Hand]

2. Well...

How about they just tell Thompson to take a flying whatsis at a rolling doughnut and go ahead and do it anyway. I doubt that fat turd would be able to stop them. THAT WOULD BE SO COOL!

[ninkasi]

3. This is such a hypocritical administration...

U.S. citizens can't get drugs from Canada because the government says they can't assure that they're safe. It's a pity that concern over our health doesn't prevent them from polluting the air and poisoning the water, not to mention destroying the ecosystem of the entire planet.

The difference, of course, is that U.S. drug companies contribute heavily to Republicans, as do the ones destroying the environment. Nothing is as important to them as money.

[madrchsod]

4. another blow to the empire

there is no way in the hell the people in this state are going to vote for a republican senator. it`s to bad the dumb asses in my district don`t throw denny hastert out, but il. have two democratic senators ,so that`s not to bad at all

[RedEarth]

5. Too risky?

It's a hell of lot more risky when people can't afford to take their medications. Tommy T. it's time for our government to do something about the high cost of drugs....something other than ensuring profits for the pharm companies.

[yellowcanine]

6. Prediction

This will be the sleeper issue of the 2004 election - not just Illinois, but Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, the whole Northeast, the whole Northwest and California, probably Ohio, West Virginia, Missouri and for sure Florida get pushed over the top for Dean because of this issue. The failure of the Medicare "reform" bill to control drug costs hits the folks on Medicare, younger Seniors not yet on Medicare, many of the Boomers. People are going to be really pissed when they figure out that:

1. the "reforms" don't kick in until 2006.
2. drug costs are going to keep going up.
3. Bush is going to prevent people from buying Canadian drugs.

It's the prescription drug trifecta!

[GRClarkesq]

7. The drugs are from the US in the first place. right?

Reimportation of US drugs is why states want the waivers.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

8. Don't worry, we have our ways.

If we can smuggle cheap American smokes into Canada by the truckload, we can keep the prescription drugs flowing, too.

[GRClarkesq]

9. Those conniving Candian criminals

try to lure lure poor innocent Americans into the death trap of tobacco.