Heres why the fight over Bernie Sanderss drug amendment is dangerous. [View all]

[LiberalFighter]

Heres why the fight over Bernie Sanderss drug amendment is dangerous.

Here’s why Senator Sanders’s amendment really failed:

Obviously, when importing items that Americans are going to put into their bodies (in my case, via a chemo port that is a straight shot to my heart), it’s pretty damn important that they be safe. To make sure their safe, we have a little agency called the Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA.

Sanders’s amendment — which was a BUDGET amendment — did not include provisions for the FDA to do any quality control and compliance. Without that provision of funds, they cannot do anything to protect American patients, meaning people like me can no longer be sure that it’s our actual medicine we’re shooting into our veins, instead of pixie stix dust and water mixed together by some enterprising crook.
Oh hey, here’s a bunch of Republicans sharing a hearty belly laugh immediately after signing legislation to repeal Obamacare. Remember when we were all united to fight THEM? I miss that, let’s do that again. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

And sure, that’s a ridiculous example of the (very real) dangers of importing drugs without FDA oversight, but counterfeit drugs are a real problem, and they kill real people every year. Not that long ago, it was revealed a Canadian pharmacy website had smuggled millions of dollars worth of medications, largely composed of cancer drugs. Real people dying from real cancer were given fake drugs because of lack of FDA oversight — the same potential issue with Sanders’s amendment.

And that wasn’t an isolated incident. There have also been documented cases of imported heart medication turning out to be rat poison, cholesterol medicine being filled with brick dust, and antibiotics being filled with (surprise!) paint and inkjet material. Nothing says “health and happiness” like accidentally taking rat poison.

For those that argue they are in the pocket of big Pharma don't forget that Sanders ranks third in contributions from them last year among all Democratic Senators. So should he be exempt from that criticism or should better understanding of what makes up those contributions be made?