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National
Grange Urges the Strongest Safety Precautions Before Implementing HHS Task Force
Recommendations on Prescription Drugs Importation
WASHINGTON,
December 22, 2004 -- The National Grange urges caution before implementing recommendations
regarding the importation of prescription drugs into the United States recently
made by the Drug Importation Task Force of the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS). The National Grange supports the report's strong emphasis on the
need for better consumer education about the risks associated with the personal
importation of prescription drugs. However, it questions the Task Force's findings
that limited wholesale commercial importation of high cost prescription drugs
might be conducted safely. Concerns about safety arise because the Task Force
report provides incomplete information on the potential impact that this risky
experiment would have on public health, medical costs and medicine development.
"In the case of consumers who want to import prescription drugs directly, the
Grange believes that the safety risks of personal importation of prescription
drugs remain significant, especially when the purchase is made by phone, Internet
or mail order," said Leroy Watson, National Grange Legislative Director. "The
Grange strongly believes that HHS must continue to effectively warn people of
the risks associated with ordering foreign drugs from unsecured Web sites." The
Grange is also cautious about the Task Force's findings regarding limited commercial
importation of prescription drugs. "The Task Force findings that limited wholesale
importation of prescription drugs would be feasible is confusing," said Watson.
"It is contradictory to other recommendations in the Task Force report that commercial
importation generally should not be allowed. That makes the HHS Task Force report
just one more piece of conflicting health care information that American consumers
have been getting lately." Watson
further explained: "Americans need a strong, clear and unambiguous declaration
from their government about whether or not importation is safe, it will reduce
medical costs, and will impede the development of new life saving and life enhancing
medications. Only then, when we have all the information, can consumers make a
rational choice that reflects the best course of action for their individual health."
If the government does seek to implement a limited program that only imports high
cost medications, the Grange would insist that every possible safety precaution
be taken so that unsuspecting Americans, and especially rural Americans, who disproportionately
rely on phone, internet and mail order pharmacies to fill their prescriptions,
will not be lured to unregulated Web sites or other vendors that falsely purport
to have access to this new supply of prescription drugs. The
Grange has consistently supported measures to assure that rural Americans have
access to affordable medications. However, Grange members have repeatedly expressed
their concerns that drug consumer safety must always be the number one priority
in any drug importation program, even if imported drugs would be sold at lower
costs than comparable U.S. prescription drugs. In November 2004, at its 138th
Annual Convention, the National Grange reaffirmed the criteria that its members
believe must be met before any the drug importation may be allowed into the U.S.:
1.
The prescription drug importers must be subject to U.S. federal and state regulation
before they have the authority to import these products. 2.
The authorized importers must keep accurate records of the origin and history
of the imported drugs and take financial responsibility for any tests necessary
to verify the safety of the imported drugs. 3.
The prescription drugs may only be imported from licensed pharmacies and wholesalers
who sell to the general public in Canada. 4.
The FDA must have sufficient resources and authority to ensure the safety of any
and all imported prescription drugs. "Rural
citizens should not be denied adequate protection in terms of the safety of their
prescription drugs, regardless of whether those products are from a U.S. or foreign
supplier," said Watson. "The HHS report must instill confidence in American consumers
that all the processes and responsibilities that both exporters and importers
should take for the safety of the imported drugs can be scrutinized and controlled
under the authority of U.S. law. All rural citizens, and especially rural seniors,
deserve to be able to purchase affordable medications without worrying about their
safety." HHS
conducted this study to meet the requirement of the Medicare Modernization Act
of 2003. HHS was directed to complete a comprehensive study of drug importation
to determine drug importation's safety before making such importation legal.
Founded
in 1867, the National Grange is the nation's oldest rural advocacy organization.
It has grassroots chapters in 3,000 local communities in 38 states. It serves
farming and non-farming individuals and families living in rural communities on
a wide variety of economic, educational, legislative and family issues. | 
