Seniors favor prescription drug imports, price negotiation, new poll says

[Judi Lynn]

Seniors favor prescription drug imports, price negotiation, new poll says


By MARK SHERMAN
The Associated Press
8/10/04 3:54 PM


WASHINGTON (AP) -- Older and disabled Americans strongly support proposals to permit prescription drug imports and to allow the government to negotiate prices of medicines, said a poll released Tuesday.

Both ideas, also backed by the Kerry presidential campaign, would give Americans access to cheaper prescription drugs, said most of those polled, all Medicare recipients. Four-fifths of those questioned in the Kaiser Family Foundation poll said they support both proposals, dismissing misgivings about the safety of imported drugs.

By contrast, nearly half the people questioned said they have an unfavorable impression of the new prescription drug law passed last year by the Republican-led Congress and signed by President Bush. Among major complaints, the law does not do enough to bring down prices, is too complicated and rewards drug makers and insurers. A quarter of those surveyed said they like the law.

The criticisms are similar to those put forward by Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry and other opponents of last year's Medicare overhaul. The poll suggests an election-year advantage for the Democrats on the issue.
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http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/business/index.ssf?/newsflash/get_story.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?f0214_BC_PrescriptionDrugPoll&&news&newsflash-financial

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What are the chances you'd see THIS STORY published on the same day as the one immediately above?

Mexico investigating sale of fake drugs in border town where Americans flock to buy cheap medicine

By Mark Stevenson
ASSOCIATED PRESS
12:45 p.m. August 10, 2004

MEXICO CITY – Mexican authorities are investigating the sale of fake or substandard medicine in a border town so popular among Americans seeking cheap medications that it has more pharmacies than streets.


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U.S. officials said at least one pharmacy sold useless tablets labeled as Zocor, a cholesterol drug, to an American citizen in Algodones, a hamlet with 10 streets and about 20 drug stores across the border from Yuma, Ariz.

Algodones has one bar, one church and an estimated 250 doctors, dentists and opticians, almost all of whom cater to the thousands of Americans who cross each year for cheap drugs and health services. The drugstores often also sell alcohol – names like "Liqui's Pharmacy and Liquor" are common.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert July 30 about the counterfeit Zocor – which did not contain any active ingredient – and a bogus version of Carisoprodol, used to treat muscle spasms, which had a very low level of its key ingredient.
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http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/20040810-1245-mexico-fakedrugs.html

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:eyes:

[Nambe]

1. Juniors support it too!

It's a pill popping society we live in. The drug companies tout reinvestment but they pocket huge profits. I all for regulating profit margins of companies providing essential services and products.