The pharmaceutical industry predicted that if the drug importation proposal succeeded that we would be at risk from unsafe drugs. I think what they meant to say is that the pharmaceutical industry’s profits would be at risk.

The new proposal from Senator Dorgan would have allowed importation of prescription drugs from countries that are verified safe by the FDA. Allowing importation from countries such as Canada, Europe, and Japan, which sell their prescription medications from 35 percent to 55 percent lower do to price controls, would have saved consumers more than $100 billion over the next 10 years.

Even though the bill would put money back into hard working Americans pockets, the bill hit the wall in the Senate, and got shot down with a 51-48 vote. Senators attest that the bill would not be safe, because the drugs would be coming from untested sources.

This couldn’t be farther from the truth. According to the New York Times

Senator Dorgan’s office says the industry’s safety alarms are false ones, because his measure would permit exports only from factories approved by the Food and Drug Administration and would assure high-quality imports by setting up a new registration procedure for pharmacies and wholesalers.

If safety isn’t the real reason why the drug import proposal failed, then what is?

According to the Examiner, its because the government has already found a better deal.

The pharmaceutical industry made a deal with the White House to commit 80 billion dollars over the next 10 years to health care reform. The deal was supposedly contingent upon Congress not asking for more cuts in their profits.

The article in the Examiner also pointed out that pharmaceutical sales in 2006 were $289 billion, over half of the global total.  If the price of our drugs  fell by just 15%, it would save the American consumers over $43 billion annually.  This price cut would also allow those who are currently not taking their medication due to cost, to finally be able to afford the medications they need.

So the real reason the drug import proposal failed isn’t because the government is concerned for our safety, they are concerned with profits.

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