Governor Benson's Plan to Get Drugs from Canada

By Josh Rogers on Wednesday, December 10, 2003.

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Governor Craig Benson says he will set up a state program to import prescription drugs from Canada.

Benson's proposal is opposed by federal officials, but the governor says he will flout Washington to save money for New Hampshire citizens.

New Hampshire Public Radio?s Josh Rogers reports.

Under Governor Benson?s plan, the state would purchase certain Canadian drugs for prison inmates and for low income and disabled citizens who qualify for medicaid??The state would also create a web portal that would allow any adult to buy drugs directly from certain, state certified Canadian pharmacies?At a news conference Tuesday, Benson said the businessman in him could not stand idle when drug companies refuse to give local consumers less than their best price.
I used to have a business that sold products worldwide and I didn?t get to charge 3 times the amount for different markets??.Pharmaceutical companies should charge one price for all the different markets they serve.

Officials from the US Food and drug administration are leery of Benson?s plan. They insist it?s unambigously dangerous and illegal??FDA associate commissioner William Hubbard.
We have opined to states that have inquired about this that anyone be they a state of a business entity could be liable for violating the food and drug cosmetic act ? which is the FDA?s basic statute. They can be civily or criminally liable.

For its part, the Benson administration say the FDA?s claims are overblown. Benson policy adviser Keith Herman says drug importation is possible under the Medicare prescription drug bill provided NH is granted a waiver. Herman says Senator Judd Gregg, and Congressmen Charlie Bass and Jeb Bradley are working to see that a waver is granted?? Herman is hopeful that will come, but adds the governor is not going to wait for Washington?s go-ahead.
Quite frankly we in NH have a moral obligation to do what?s right for our citizens?..regardless of what the FDA thinks so we are going to go forward anyway.

The fallout of NH?s actions may extend beyond the state border??.So far, Spingfield Massachusetts is the only government entity to operate a reimportation program?? Boston may set up a pilot program for it?s city employees this summer???And state?s including Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa and Michigan are now considering similar cost saving initiatives.?.But exactly how much money is saved by re-importation is hard to know.?..The Benson administration says providing Canadian drugs for prison inmates would alone save more than 1 million dollars a year?..But David Minnis, lobbyists for NH pharmacy association believes potential liability exposure should outweigh any savings. Minnis says Benson sought advice from local pharmacists?..He adds that the governor plan seems to ignore the state?s small businesspeople.
Pharmacies pay taxes and you are encouraging people to go to another country to purchase drugs at the expense of supporting local pharmacies ? you tell me what that says.

The Benson administration says they plan to have at least a portion of their drug reimportation program up and running in the next ten days.