By George Anderson
Govenor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois wants the federal government to allow states to import cheaper prescription medications from Canada to deal with rising prices, reports Reuters.
He urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reverse its "misguided" stance opposing states importing lower priced drugs because the agency says there is no way to verify the safety of the imports.
Govenor Blagojevich wrote a letter to FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan pointing out that, in at least one case, the agency is already allowing Canadian prescriptions to be brought into the country.
The AARP's health plan UnitedHealth accepts claims for Canadian-bought prescriptions.
"If the FDA believes that prescription drugs produced in Canada are safe for seniors covered by AARP health plans, why would those same prescription drugs be unsafe for the people of Illinois," Blagojevich wrote in a letter to FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan.
Moderator's Comment: What is the answer to the Canadian prescription import issue?
Annex Canada (just joking). [George Anderson - Moderator]