Illinois helps residents import prescription drugs

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Illinois residents will soon gain access to lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland, sidestepping U.S. regulators’ objections to imported drugs, Gov. Rod Blagojevich said on Tuesday.

The program, which will be launched within a month, will connect Illinois residents by Internet or a toll-free telephone number to price lists compiled from the three countries for 100 commonly used drugs prescribed for chronic or long-term conditions, the Democrat said in a statement. 

Savings will amount to between 25 percent and 50 percent in comparison to U.S. prescription drug prices, Blagojevich said.

The imported drugs to be obtained through a Canadian pharmacy benefits manager and a Canadian clearinghouse would be perfectly safe, he said, countering arguments of U.S. regulators.

Illinois is among five U.S. states giving residents access to imported drugs - the others are Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, North Dakota - but it is the first state to include outlets in Europe.

Blagojevich and other governors and legislators have tangled with federal agencies including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration over importing cheaper drugs, and it has become an election-year issue in some congressional races.

“Governor Blagojevich and the state of Illinois are joining the other states and municipalities in a growing movement while Washington sits on the sidelines,” Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel said.

A bill in the U.S. Congress authorizing drug importing has stalled. Meanwhile, thousands of U.S. residents cross into Canada to buy lower-cost drugs, or purchase them by mail order.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, who oversees the FDA, has said such import programs cannot ensure the safety of the drugs, but Blagojevich balked at any restrictions.

He asked for a federal waiver to launch a pilot program to import prescription drugs from Canada, and helped organize a class action lawsuit on behalf of senior citizens when he got no response.

Some U.S. drug makers have restricted supplies to Canadian pharmacies that have been re-exporting them to the United States, so Blagojevich sent a team to Europe in May to inspect pharmacies and drug warehouses there. Eventually, the state chose a network of pharmacies in English-speaking countries.

Initially, Illinois’ program will be offered to nearly one-quarter of the state’s 12.6 million residents, including 500,000 seniors. In the next phase, the state will waive co-payments for state employees who buy imported drugs.

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