Canadian Drug Import Plan Dangerous for Taxpayers | Citizens Against Government Waste

Canadian Drug Import Plan Dangerous for Taxpayers

Press Release

For Immediate ReleaseContact: Mark Carpenter/Tom Finnigan 
October ?, 2003(202) 467-5300 

 

“Unsafe Pharmaceuticals Create Substantial Liability for State and Local Governments,” Schatz says 

(Washington, D.C.)― Today the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) criticized Springfield, Massachusetts Mayor Mike Albano for his efforts to provide local government employees with prescription drugs and other medical supplies from Canada.  Mayor Albano, along with a handful of other elected officials, is exploring drug reimportation as a fix for Springfield’s budget woes. 

“Mayor Albano is so focused on short-term budget savings that he has virtually ignored the fact that reimportation would expose the city of Springfield to enormous liability risks,” CAGW President Tom Schatz said.  “Terminally ill patients are dying from watered down drugs and doctors are prescribing pain-killing medication to patients they’ve not evaluated,” Schatz stated. “All the while criminals are stuffing their pockets in the name of ‘discounted prescription drugs’.  Does Mayor Albano really want to sanction these dangerous and illegal practices?”

 Incidents of fraud, counterfeiting, and other illegal schemes by prescription drug ‘dealers’ are a clear reminder that not all ideas to save taxpayer money are wise. “In the short run, obtaining medicines from across the border may have a small positive impact on the budgets of cash-strapped governments,” Schatz stated.  “Unfortunately, the long-term cost implications make any small savings today pale in comparison.” 

“The Canadian government has bluntly told the U.S. that it cannot ensure the safety or efficacy of drugs shipped to the United States, and the FDA does not have the authority or resources to do so,” Schatz concluded. “Rolling the dice with taxpayer money and employees’ health and safety is a penny-wise, pill-foolish approach to solving local budget problems.”

CAGW President Tom Schatz is available to discuss this issue with media. To schedule an interview or for additional information, please contact Mark Carpenter at (202) 467-5300 or via e-mail at media@cagw.org.

 The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.

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