| BERNARD
SANDERS MEMBER OF CONGRESS |
INDEPENDENT VERMONT, AT LARGE | |||||||||
For Immediate
Release, 2/18/2003 Bill Is A Response To GlaxoSmithKlinefs Latest Actions
Washington, DC - Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced today that he has
introduced a bill to prevent pharmaceutical companies from cutting off
Canadian pharmacies who supply American patients. The legislation, called
the Preserving Access to Safe, Affordable Canadian Medicines Act of 2003
(HR847), would subject drug companies with civil money penalties of up to
$1 million if they tried to discriminate against U.S. consumers who are
accessing cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. The bi-partisan
legislation, which has 33 original co-sponsors, is in direct response to
GlaxoSmithKlinefs recent move to cut off Canadian pharmacies and
wholesalers who sell its products to U.S. consumers.
Sanders said; gAmericans are being charged the highest prices in the
world for their prescription drugs by the pharmaceutical industry which,
year after year, runs up record breaking profits. In an increasingly
globalized economy, the American people have the right to purchase safe
and affordable medicine in Canada where prices, in some cases, can be 90%
less for the same exact brand name product sold in the U.S. At a time when
Americans are suffering and, in some cases, dying because they canft
afford their medicine, it is not acceptable for GlaxoSmithKline to stop
Americans from buying medicine in Canada.h
GlaxoSmithKline's recent move to cut off American consumers is a
response to the increasing number of U.S. patients who have turned to
Canada for reasonably price prescription drugs. The result is millions of
American prescriptions now head north to be filled. In addition to
Americans driving across the border, there are now about 70 Internet
pharmacies operating in Canada.
Congressman Sanders was the first Member of Congress to take American
patients over the border into Canada to highlight the disparity in
medicine prices. He has also been a leading proponent of allowing U.S.
pharmacists and wholesalers the right to purchase FDA-safety approved
prescription drugs in Canada that they could then sell to their American
customers at a significantly lower cost.
Sanders concluded, gAt a time when millions of Americans are struggling
to afford the outrageously high price of prescription drugs in the U.S.,
we cannot allow pharmaceutical companies to slam the door on a source of
safe and affordable medicine for an increasing number of Americans, namely
Canada. This is a matter of life and death, and Congress must take a stand
against this outrageous assault on American consumers.h
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