Prescriptions and profit – cbs news

Prescriptions and profit - cbs news negotiate the costs

There’s two recent developments within the ongoing fight within the cost of prescription medications: Illinois announced it can help its residents buy drugs from Canada, and Vermont announced it is going to sue the Fda (Food and drug administration) for the best of their citizens to purchase drugs in Canada.

It has come about as no real surprise the pharmaceutical industry is easily the most lucrative business in the united states. American drug costs are the greatest on the planet, so greater than a million Americans now buy their medications in Canada.

Mayors and governors from North Dakota to Alabama are helping their citizens get Canadian drugs by mail. Such purchases are technically illegal, but to date, the us government has declined to prosecute.

However the Food and drug administration has elevated the threat of safety and it has been waging an offer against Canadian importation.

When Correspondent Morley Safer first reported about this story last March, the Food and drug administration commissioner was Dr. Mark McClellan.

The Food and drug administration has issued a significant warning that using Canadian drugs might be unsafe. But exactly how unsafe are these drugs? And just how common would be the trouble for drugs that individuals are purchasing in Canada?

"Well, this is the problem. We do not know," states Dr. McClellan. "Because we do not have the legal right to tell where these drugs came from, in order to monitor carefully how they are stepping into the U . s . States. And also to make certain the drugs which come in are secure, maybe it’s a prevalent problem."

"That’s lots of hooey. There’s pointless that purchasing drugs in Canada is less safe than buying them within the U . s . States," states Dr. Marcia Angell, who had been executive editor from the Colonial Journal of drugs for 11 years. She’s just printed a magazine known as "The Reality Regarding the Drug Companies."

"Those who say you need to bother about the security of medication from Canada are imagining the actual way it was several years ago. That you have a moat round the U . s . Claims that drugs which are offered within the U . s . States are created by only American companies. Making within this country," states Angell.

"It isn’t this way anymore. Pfizer, for instance, has 60 manufacturing sites in 32 countries. Therefore the medicine is made around the globe. They are offered around the globe.Inch

The majority of Pfizer’s anti-cholesterol drug Lipitor is created in Ireland. And it is exactly the same Lipitor that’s offered both in U.S. and Canadian pharmacies. Other familiar drugs like Zocor, Nexium, and Prevacid overlap with those offered in Canada. They are less expensive there since the drug companies must follow Canadian government cost controls.

Perform the drug companies still earn profits?

"Oh, sure. Why else are they going to sell them in Canada? They are not non profit organizations. Obviously they earn profits,Inch states Angell.

The U . s . States may be the only industrialized country without some type of control around the prices of medication. The U.S. also accounts in excess of 1 / 2 of the industry’s profits.

To keep individuals profits up, the drug companies have became a member of the Food and drug administration in attempting to shut lower imports from Canada, and Canadian pharmacies feel pressure. In a single pharmacy approximately the border, Americans take into account 30 % of their business. These were concern about getting an hour mention the particular name from the pharmacy.

"We have had several letters in the big multi-nationals, certainly threatening to chop from the drug supply very clearly if you’re offering medications to U.S. patients," states the pharmacist.

This pharmacy supplies drugs to municipal workers within the town of Springfield, Mass., via a program setup by former Springfield Mayor Michael Albano.

"Major pharmaceutical information mill saying, ‘We’re likely to limit our supply.’ Exactly what does that let you know? It informs you that they would like to keep your artificially high costs in the usa,Inch states Albano. "How brazen is the fact that? It simply boggles my thoughts that they’ll pull off this."

When Albano was confronted with a financial budget crunch this past year, he’d to put off firefighters, police officials, and teachers. By organizing for several,000 city employees, retirees, and family people to purchase Canadian drugs, the town could make substantial savings.

"We are able to save between $4 to $9 million yearly basically get everyone enrolled and everyone would go to Canada. And that is a lot of money at this time,Inch states Albano. "Basically can help to save $9 million in my city and restore it, redirect it back to police and fire and also to public education, every time they visit an enormous amount of difference. Therefore it is an enormous savings."

Does he get it done themself?

"I actually do it in my family’s use. My boy Mikey is diabetic. So we get his insulin and related products for diabetes from Canada," states Albano.

The Food and drug administration states importing drugs from Canada or buying drugs from Canada is unsafe. Does Albano agree?

"The American public isn’t buying that safety issue. The truth is it’s getting insulting for that Food and drug administration to state that. I view myself like a responsible father," states Albano. "And That I could tell you just how I wouldn’t let my boy inject insulin into his body three occasions each day basically thought there is a security factor here."

Mayor Albano concedes that casually buying drugs on the web might be dangerous, but states it had been fairly simple for him to look at his Canadian supplier, and challenges the Food and drug administration to complete exactly the same factor.

"The Food and drug administration has turned into a pawn from the pharmaceutical industry, that they’re protecting individuals high income. When the Food and drug administration desired to place a plan together much like what we are doing in Springfield, that might be great for all Americans, they are able to get it done in fifteen minutes, in accordance with safety," states Albano.

"We obtain all of our medications from certified, controlled pharmacies in Canada. It’s the same as visiting your neighborhood pharmacy. And it is the very same medication."

Why can’t the Food and drug administration insure the security of merchandise from Canadian pharmaceutical exporters – and make certain it’s as safe just like any product departing a united states company?

"Under current law, we do not have the legal right to insure the security of foreign created, foreign distributed drugs," states McClellan.

What exactly would motivate the Food and drug administration, which isn’t in the industry of benefiting from drugs, to place out a security about Canadian drugs?

"The influence from the pharmaceutical industry on the government is big. And also the Food and drug administration is part of the manager branch from the government. Which is only the propaganda that’s released to complete the drug company’s putting in a bid, to make certain that Americans don’t get access to cheaper drugs," states Angell.

"Because then they’ll arrived at know what’s happening. And what’s happening is the fact that these drugs, while they are produced by global companies around the globe, are offered within this country for around double what they are offered for otherwise. And they wanna keep secret."

"Our interest rates are in protecting and promoting the healthiness of the general public,Inch states McClellan.

Obviously, the entire debate over Canadian drugs could be moot if Republican Congressman Dan Burton of Indiana had his way. Throughout the recent debate within the Medicare bill, he co-backed a provision that will have legalized getting in Canadian drugs with safeguards.

But Burton states he encountered two brick walls: the drug industry and also the U.S. government: "This can be a best example, for me, of in which a special interest, the pharmaceutical industry, has had the ability to manipulate the Congress and also the government from the U . s . States for their benefit, and also to the hindrance from the American citizen and also the United states citizens.Inch

Since 1999, the drug industry has provided greater than 45 million dollars in political contributions, and it is spent vast sums more about a military in excess of 600 lobbyists to operate its may on Capitol Hill.

Congressman Burton states the brand new Medicare act causes it to be obvious the took its money’s worth. He states vast amounts of money is inside it for drug companies within this new Medicare Prescription Medication Benefit.

"Within the new Medicare Act, the us government is particularly prohibited from negotiating prices with drug companies," states Safer.

"That’s unconscionable. The federal government from the U . s . States negotiates prices within the Defense Department, in each and every section of government," states Burton. "And here i am, likely to spend billions and billions and billions and most likely trillions of dollars on pharmaceutical products. So we cannot negotiate the costs using the pharmaceutical industry. That’s simply not right."

In December, encircled by people of Congress, President Plant signed the brand new Medicare act. Since 1999, these legislators have recognized greater than a million . 5 dollars in campaign contributions from people employed in the pharmaceutical industry. President Plant alone has gotten over fifty percent millions of dollars.

However, the brand new Medicare prescription medication benefit has been billed like a big victory for America’s seniors.

"You gotta be kidding me," states Burton. "Seniors, once they discover what’s for the reason that bill, are destined to be very angry. The issue is, they are not gonna learn about it until following this next election."

The program does not start until 2006. Does Burton believe that will lessen the attraction of importing drugs from Canada?

"Oh, I do not think so," states Burton. "Because even if you discuss the discount cards and yet another things, you are gonna discover that seniors are destined to be having to pay, oftentimes, greater than they’re having to pay for Canadian imports at this time.Inch

an hour contacted Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Merck, Wyeth, Glaxo SmithKline, and Eli Lilly. Not one of them would accept be interviewed. Safer requested Dr. Angell concerning the situation the almost always makes to warrant drug prices.

"This is a type of blackmail. What they are saying is, ‘Don’t wreck havoc on us. Let’s charge everything we want for the drugs. Otherwise, you will not obtain the miracles,’" states Angell. "And the fact is that they cut back in R&D they make in profits. And less they invest in marketing. Plus they don’t make that lots of miracles to begin with &hellip The issue is, is the fact that we are no more getting our money’s worth."

Adds Albano: "The pharmaceutical market is gouging the American consumer. There is no other conclusion it’s possible to draw. And why must we, within this country, need to pay the greatest prices on the planet? Why is not obama doing something? Why is not Congress doing something? Someone has to wage this fight. So we are prepared to get it done here."

And they are others. Since an hour first broadcast this story, a minimum of five more metropolitan areas and 2 states are helping use drugs from Canada.

For Dr. Mark McClellan, he’s now mind of Medicare and State medicaid programs.

Prescriptions and profit - cbs news drugs fromResourse: http://cbsnews.com/news/prescriptions-and-profit-12-03-2004/

Behind the prescription meds listed in Tiger Woods' police report


Video COMMENTS:

Brenda Harris: Do you really need to use the mug shot?

Tom Lewis: truth hurts huh??��

@_HO_RUs: Argument is stupid, she is saying Drs need to stop prescribing opiates most of the deaths shes talking about come from non-prescription medication abuse, such as heroin abuse. The pharma companies need to unite against this kind of nonsense and counteract it, they pretty much destroyed Methylphenidate which had a great efficacy and results now they are after Benzodiazepines and opiates. Most of these doctors want you on SSRIs citalopram and others.

Brian Lee: I just want to bang that doctor

onlythewise1: nobody lives a perfect life

Jason Bourne: In the same sanerio, if that was tom brady he wouldn't have went to jail, he would have gotten a ride home Lol!!!

Jacob McCain: That's because Brady is still winning. How you think this would've gone in 2005-2008 when Tiger was a household name?

Bo Rerun: he needs God in his life and not drugs

James Taylor: I have had someone cut into my body and I was smart enough to know not to drive on norco (in my case). I think Tiger was smart enough to know not to drive on Vicodin. But, as always, the normal rules don't apply to Tiger, at least in his mind.

Dr Geffory Mayerherdt: Vicodin doesnt make you that disoriented..he would have had to take a handful of pills to get that wasted..nothing like embarrassing the guy with the webcam..but a good thing they can prove he wasn't billigerent

theKONGBLOG: Since Tiger was Far Beyond Destroyed a.k.a. Destroyed Beyond Belief — it would have been virtually impossible to be 'belligerent' even if his inner-aggression/inner-hostility wanted to! LOL's

LITTLE WEASEL SIT DOWN SHUT UR FOOKIN MOUTH: He's been Cheating illegal performance enhancing drugs Bad Tiger slap on the wrist pay the fines u good!!

MEIERSEGGSTRAßE RESEARCH INSTITUTE: O.OO Alcohol\nleave that man alone! EVEN PRESIDENT TRUMP AGREES!\nOOOH WAIT WAIT HE'S (BLACK)….TOO MUCH MELANIN IN HIS SKIN…LOCK HIM UP LOL America SMH!

Willie Jenkins: The cop said he was belligerent and smelled alcohol? What a freaking liar. Rotten cops. He looked out of sorts for sure, but prescription abuse doesn't give someone an "odor" like the cop claimed.

Joanne Ber: 91 people a day are dying from opioid dependence I don't think so that's seems like an exaggeration and if he is addicted he doesn't need jail or a court room \nhe needs rehab then again if he's in pain that sux for him unless he can take anti-inflammatories that don't give him ulcers and reflux you can't win