Canadian Drug Imports Dangerous for Michigan | Citizens Against Government Waste

Canadian Drug Imports Dangerous for Michigan

Press Release

For Immediate ReleaseContact: Mark Carpenter/Tom Finnigan
November 4, 2003(202) 467-5300

 

This is a Penny-Wise, Pill-Foolish Plan,” Schatz says

(Washington, D.C.)—Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today warned Governor Jennifer Granholm about the dangers of providing government employees with prescription drugs and other medical supplies from Canada.  The governor, along with a handful of elected officials in other states, is exploring drug reimportation as a fix for budget woes. 

“Gov. Granholm is so focused on short-term budget savings that she has virtually ignored the fact that drug reimportation would expose the state of Michigan to enormous liability,” CAGW President Tom Schatz said.  “It only takes one tainted batch of pills to offset all the supposed savings of the program.”

Granholm wants state officials to study the results of investigations now underway in Illinois, Minnesota, and Iowa and determine whether a similar program could work in Michigan.  The Canadian government has told the U.S. that it cannot ensure the safety or efficacy of drugs shipped to the United States, and the Food and Drug Administration does not have the authority or resources to do so.  Federal law currently bars bringing foreign prescription drugs into the country. 

“In the short run, obtaining medicines from across the border may have a small positive impact on the budgets of cash-strapped states,” Schatz continued.  “Unfortunately, the long-term cost and health implications make today’s savings pale in comparison.” 

The Washington Post recently completed a five-part series documenting many of the hazards of purchasing prescriptions drugs in the pharmaceutical underworld.  The articles depicted terminally ill patients dying from watered-down drugs and doctors prescribing pain-killing medication to patients they’ve not evaluated.  Incidents of fraud, counterfeiting, and other illegal schemes are not uncommon. 

“The dangers of reimportation are a clear reminder that not all ideas to save taxpayer money are wise,” Schatz concluded.  “Rolling the dice with taxpayer money and employees’ health and safety is a penny-wise, pill-foolish approach to solving budget problems.”

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

 

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