Drug prices on 60 Minutes

[question everything]

60 minutes had an excellent report about drug prices and importing drugs from Canada http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/12/60minutes/main605700.shtml

It was really pathetic to hear about the claim that drugs from Candida may not be safe when, in fact, the pharmaceutical houses have plants all over the world.

Besides, if they think that they are "losing" money on import, how come they have all these millions to advertise, to advertise prescription drugs that only a physician can prescribe?

What I don't understand, also, before Canada jumped into the game, many, especially retirees in the SW and in California would cross the border to Mexico to purchase drugs there. And one was allowed to bring a three-month supply with a prescription. So are we supposed to conclude that buying drugs in Mexico is OK, but not in Canada?

The amount of money spent by the pharmaceutical industry on political contributions and on lobbying was unbelievable. The huge Medicare bill was mentioned where one part of it that the government would not bid on drugs and someone said that the government bids on everything, certainly the Pentagon does, so why not on drugs?

[ClintonTyree]

1. I've heard...............

that they're trying to sever the Mexican connection as well. We can't have seniors, or anyone for that matter taking the food out of the mouths of those poor unfortunate drug companies. The people of America will continue to subsidize the rest of the worlds cheap 'drug habit'. That is until we get a Democrat in the White House and a Congress that won't be big business's toadies.
This November's election is SOOOOOOOOO important.

[question everything]

6. Yeah, I was wondering whether Arnold will try to get drugs from Mexico

the way other governors and mayors are buying them from Canada for public employees. And the CA public employees groups are huge.

When we moved to California more than 10 years ago, our employer would not put us on health coverage for a year, or so. And we were not going to have a doctor appointment just for prescriptons. So we drove to Tijuana and got what we needed, and at a fraction of the cost. It was the Fourth of July and I have never sensed the taste of Freedom that much as on that day.

[Wonk]

2. dupe, and the other thread includes audio & video link too

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1231814

[JCMach1]

3. Drug prices are AT LEAST 50% less here.... in the UAE

It is highway robbery people...

[radfringe]

4. if importing drugs are unsafe...

mmmm... the spin is that drugs being imported are unsafe, the message is that US-made drugs are the only safe ones

these drugs are made by the same companies, and many companies outsource jobs/production to other countries

- how do we know that the drugs we buy in US pharmacies were actually made in the US?

- why would a company make "safe" drugs just for the US and unsafe drugs for the rest of the world? Doesn't this also imply that drugs made outside of the US by these same companies are unsafe and therefore people in other countries are taking unsafe drugs and are in serious danger?

[Arbustosux]

5. Surprised that Billy Tauzan's name wasn't mentioned!

what a crook!