Saint Paul– In what is believed to be the first effort of its kind in the nation, Governor Tim Pawlenty today unveiled the first phase of Minnesota fs aggressive effort to get citizens a better deal on the high cost of prescription medicines. A new website, MinnesotaRxConnect.com, will give Minnesotans information on how to purchase prescription medications from Canada. The website also provides cost savings strategies and mail order purchasing.
gWe pay more for prescription medications in this country than anywhere else in the world,h Governor Pawlenty said at a State Capitol press conference. gIt hurts seniors. It hurts families. It hurts taxpayers. And itfs a burden on our economy that impacts job growth. Itfs time to try something different to get Minnesotans a better deal on their prescription medications.h
Prescription medicines that are available on the Minnesota website are primarily maintenance medicines – medicines taken to stabilize an illness or symptoms. The new website will allow consumers to compare what they currently pay for prescription medication with prices that are available from the two Canadian pharmacies listed on the website.
Governor Pawlenty cited several examples of the price differences in prescription medications between the U.S. and Canada. Coumadin, a blood thinner used to prevent blood clots, costs around $75 for 100 tablets at a pharmacies in the U.S. The same prescription is around $35 from the Canadian pharmacies on MinnesotaRxConnect.com. Arthritis-fighting drug Vioxx costs from $75 - $95 for 30 tablets in the U.S. , but less than $50 from Canada.
Total Care Pharmacy and Granville Pharmacy were selected for inclusion in the Minnesota website after state officials from the Minnesota Department of Human Services and the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy visited these and other Canadian pharmacies last December. The officials reviewed the safety standards required by Canadian authorities and looked at the pharmacyfs safety procedures in filling mail order prescriptions.
The Governor added, gTherefs no question that our efforts are going to ruffle some feathers in the boardrooms of pharmaceutical companies, but asking Minnesotans to pay twice or three times as much for a medicine they need to live is no longer acceptable. Thatfs what we believe – and wefre willing to fight for it.h
Once consumers locate their prescription medicine on the website, they will be able to print a summary page that lists their medicines and then mail or fax that and other required information to one of the participating pharmacies. Prescription medicines cannot be directly purchased online through MinnesotaRxConnect.com.
Minnesotans without access to a computer can call Minnesota RxConnect at 1-800-333-2433. A Minnesota RxConnect specialist can provide callers with appropriate order forms, safety information, prices and other information found on the website.
The website is the first of three phases in an initiative Governor Pawlenty launched last fall to tackle the high cost American consumers pay for prescription drugs. The next phases include developing a way to provide incentives to state employees for purchasing their prescriptions through the website and direct importation, which would require a change in federal law.
The Governor has worked closely with Congressman Gil Gutknecht, as well as other governors and elected officials from throughout the country, to raise the profile of the issue and the need for change at the national level.
gGovernor Pawlenty understands that American consumers are held captive in a market that forces them to pay three, four, five, even ten times as much for the same prescription drugs as our friends in Canada and Europe,h said Congressman Gutknecht. gAnd I'm pleased he's willing to do something about it. I am proud the State of Minnesota is the first to move forward with a bold market access initiative, so that Americans have access to affordable pharmaceuticals.h
In the coming weeks and months, the Governor plans to further press the issue of high prescription medicine costs. He and Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich are co-hosting a Governorsf Prescription Drug Summit on February 24th in Washington, DC.
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