Lawmakers Grill Thompson on Canada Drugs

[Florida_Geek]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Imported-Drugs.html?pagewanted=print&position=

March 4, 2004
Lawmakers Grill Thompson on Canada Drugs
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 8:48 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Lawmakers grilled Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson Thursday about his opposition to importing prescription drugs from Canada, an issue showing no signs of fading this election year.

Pointed questions from Democrats and Republicans focused on Thompson's decision to appoint Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Mark McClellan to lead a study of drug importation.

``When Mark McClellan is put in charge of this consideration, it's a stacked jury. He's been the most aggressive public name in stopping reimportation,'' said Rep. Anne Northup, R-Ky. President Bush has nominated McClellan to lead the federal agency that runs Medicare

<cut>

The ban on imports remains unchanged: Thompson must certify the safety of imported drugs, and he, like his Democratic predecessor, has refused to do so. ``I cannot certify that all drugs coming into America are safe,'' he said. ``It's an undue burden on the secretary.''

..more at article..

[stevedeshazer]

1. "I cannot certify that all drugs coming into America are safe"

Where are all the dead Canadians?

It is an absolute farce that Canada imports drugs from the US, and then is able to resell them back to Americans at much lower retail cost than US consumers are forced to pay. What's wrong with this picture?

Where is all this money going?

An "undue burden on the Secretary"? I thought it was his job!

on edit: clarity (I hope)

[woofless]

2. The drugs were obviously safe when U.S. companies

shipped them to Canada. Why wouldn't they be safe on the return trip? Specious logic.

[NC_Nurse]

3. What a freakin'

crock!:eyes: