SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS HAS RECEIVED NATIONAL ATTENTION AS THE FIRST CITY IN THE NATION TO BUY PRESCRIPTION DRUGS FROM CANADA. NOW, ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM ACROSS THE STATE AND THE COUNTRY ARE CONSIDERING DOING THE SAME. AREA SENIORS ARE HOPING TO BUILD UPON THIS MOMENTUM ? TO REFORM DRUG PRICES IN MASSACHUSETTS AND BEYOND. WFCR'S KAREN BROWN REPORTS FROM SPRINGFIELD MASSACHUSETTTS.
TRAX: MAYOR MICHAEL ALBANO RETURNED TO SPRINGFIELD FROM WASHINGTON RECENTLY. THE WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS MAYOR SAYS HE DOESN?T CARE WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THINKS ? HE?S GOING TO BUY PRESCRIPTION DRUGS FROM CANADA FOR HIS WORKERS AND RETIREES. HIS FIRST STOP AFTER THE TRIP WAS A ROOM FULL OF SENIORS AT THE SPRINGFIELD TEAMSTER?S HALL.
AX1 (ALBANO): You know how this works?you?ve been around longer than I have ? pharm companies have big lobbyists up on wash, at the capital., 3:55 you know how many they had last month? 600. ? they had more lobbyists than all our elected officials combined!
TRAX: ALBANO ? WHO?S IN THE FINAL STRETCH OF HIS LAST TERM AS MAYOR -- ESTIMATES THE CITY COULD SAVE UP TO NINE MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IMPORTING DRUGS FROM CANADA. THAT?S MONEY, HE SAYS, THAT COULD GO BACK TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, SCHOOLS, AND OTHER AGENCIES THAT HAVE TAKEN HUGE HITS BY THE BUDGET CRISIS.
AX2 (ALBANO): I shouldn?t have to go to Canada?we should have competitive pricing here?and the pharm companies could do it if they wanted to. 4:39 but they?re making huge profits, at the expense of the American pp. .. you with me? "yeah?"
TRAX: ALBANO SAYS HEALTH CARE COSTS IN SPRINGFIELD HAVE DOUBLED ? TO 67 MILLION DOLLARS -- SINCE HE TOOK OFFICE IN 1996. IN MANY CASES, AMERICAN-MADE DRUGS COST 20 TO 80 PERCENT LESS IN CANADA AND OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE GOVERNMENTS HAVE NEGOTIATED LOWER PRICES WITH PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES. BUT ALBANO?S ECONOMIC ARGUMENT DID NOT GO OVER WELL WITH THE FEDERAL FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION.
AX3 (HUBBARD): The more governments are telling pp it?s ok to get foreign drugs, the more pp will do that, and the more likely they?ll get bad foreign drugs.
TRAX: WILLIAM HUBBARD IS AN ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER WITH THE FDA ? AND ONE OF ALBANO?S BIGGEST FOILS. HUBBARD SAYS WHILE HE?S SYMPATHETIC TO MUNIICIPAL BUDGET PROBLEMS, THE GOVERNMENT SIMPLY CAN?T VOUCH FOR THE SAFETY OF DRUGS SHIPPED FROM ABROAD.
AX4 (HUBBARD): We see drugs loosely packaged , we see drugs mis labeled?we have seen drugs from sources that are expired, ? ones that don?t have pregnancy labels, even seen counterfet drugs. ?there may be good drugs too, but it?s hard to distinguish.
TRAX: TO THIS, THE CANADIAN COMPANY THAT SELLS PRESCRIPTIONS TO SPRINGFIELD ? CAN RX ? SAYS NONSENSE. ANTHONY HOWARD IS CAN RX PRESIDENT.
AX5 (HOWARD): Absolutely no medication we offer will come from anything but a licensed Canadian pharmacy. 8:35 ?These are topnotch Canadian approved drugs that are sent to Canadians every single day. 8:56 they are identically sent to Americans.
TRAX: HUBBARD ADMITS THE F-D-A HAS NO HARD EVIDENCE THAT DRUGS FROM CANADA ARE LESS SAFE THAN THOSE SHIPPED IN AMERICA ? ALTHOUGH HE SAID HE?S AWARE OF ONE SHIPMENT OF INSULIN THAT ARRIVED IN SPRINGFIELD ABOVE THE RECOMMENDED TEMPERATURE.
NEVERTHELESS, ALBANO ? WHO GETS INSULIN FROM CANA RX FOR HIS DIABETIC SON -- HAD LITTLE PATIENCE FOR THE F-D-A?S CLAIMS.
AX6 (ALBANO): if they?re not safe, how can they let pp buy them over the Internet? Their message is inconsistent, and that?s why I say, they?re in the pocket of the pharmaceutical companies. And we?re gonna stop that.
TRAX: THAT WAS NOT A HARD SELL TO THE MEMBERS OF THE MASS SENIOR ACTION COUNCIL ? WHO ARE PUSHING FOR PASSAGE OF THE MASSACHUSETTS PRESCRIPTION DRUG FAIR PRICING ACT. THAT PENDING LEGISLATION WOULD PROMOTE BULK DRUG PURCHASING AND OTHER MEASURES TO KEEP COSTS DOWN. MANY OF THESE SENIORS ? SUCH AS ANNA KROKENBERGER -- HAVE BEEN BUYING DRUGS FROM CANADA FOR YEARS.
AX7 (anna) I?m not worried about it. Everything is packaged separate. And it?s nice and clean and closed. Nothing is open. 00:44
Ax8 (bob) The burden of proof is on those who say they aren?t safe.
BOB LAWSON HAS BOUGHT MEDICATION FROM CANADA BY MAIL ORDER.
Ax9 (bob) So until I hear about that, no way am I gonna be swayed 1:36 by that kind of propaganda?. And they?re right about the pharmaceutical companies. They?re a bunch of greedy SOBs.
TRAX: AND ISAAC BEN EZRA ? A LONGTIME SENIOR ACTIVIST ? SAYS HE?S RELYING MORE AND MORE ON DRUGS FROM CANADA.
Ax10 (ben ezra): I get diovan, I get lipatur, my wife gets four drugs?. So we?re seeing our prescription costs escalate every year?00:25 so having the Canadian connection is awfully important.
TRAX: TECHNICALLY, THOSE SENIORS ARE BREAKING THE LAW, BUT THE F-D-A HAS LONG TOLERATED INDIVIDUALS WHO BUY DRUGS FROM CANADA. HOWEVER, THE AGENCY JUST SENT A LETTER TO CANARX, DEMANDING THAT THE COMPANY STOP SELLING PRESCRIPTIONS TO SPRINGFIELD. CANARX PRESIDENT ANTHONY HOWARD SAYS HE CAN?T COMMENT ON THE LETTER, BUT MAYOR ALBANO SAYS HE?S NOT INTIMIDATED BY THE FDA?S POSITION.
AX11: (ALBANO) I do believe we?re gaining national momentum. The efforts of the governor of Illinois speaks volumes, this is something that won?t go away. 1:24? The FDA is gonna have a battle on their hands if they try to stop springfield, mass.
TRAX: BUT EVEN F-D-A OFFICIALS SAY THE ISSUE COULD BE RESOLVED BY AN ACT OF CONGRESS. ALBANO APPEARED IN WASHINGTON WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, INCLUDING SENATOR TED KENNEDY AND REPRESENTATIVE RICHARD NEAL, TO SUPPORT A BILL LEGALIZING THE REIMPORTATION OF DRUGS FROM CANADA AND EUROPE. THE BILL PASSED THE HOUSE AND IS NOW FACING A LIKELY UPHILL BATTLE IN THE SENATE. FOR NHPR NEWS, I?M KAREN BROWN IN SPRINGFIELD MASS.
