by Gabriel Levitt, President, PharmacyChecker.com and Prescription Justice | Jun 28, 2010 | Big Pharma
A new group called the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (www.safeonilnerx.com) is working to prevent access to safe and affordable online pharmacies (Also see our article about a deceptive news release published by this group). Its membership and “observers” include the usual pharmacy, pharma and pharma-front groups: American Pharmacists Association, Eli Lilly & Company, LegitScript.com, National Association of Chain Drugstores, National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), National Health Council, and the Partnership for Safe Medicines.
The group’s stated mission is “to protect patient safety and ensure patient access to safe and legitimate online pharmacies in accordance with U.S. laws.” The unstated premise is that since it is technically illegal for Americans to personally import medication from abroad, only U.S. pharmacies (i.e., those that are members of its own member organizations) are in accordance with U.S. laws. (more…)
Tagged with: Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies, LegitScript.com, NABP, Online Pharmacies, Online Pharmacy Verification Services, personal drug importation, SafeMedicines.org, safeonlinerx.com
by Gabriel Levitt, President, PharmacyChecker.com and Prescription Justice | Jun 2, 2010 | Politics
Senator Byron Dorgan (D-SD), who is leaving congress at the end of this term, continues to stand up to the pharmaceutical industry and on behalf of American consumers, as he is once again trying to push forward legislation that legalizes drug importation in a manner that could make prescription medication more affordable. In December of 2009, Dorgan introduced an amendment to H.R. 3590: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to legalize drug importation, which received 51 yeas and 48 nays, falling short of the 60 votes needed for passage. Now Dorgan plans to introduce his legislation as an amendment to the food safety bill, which is sponsored by John Dingell (D-Mich). Dingell, however, is an adamant opponent to drug importation and is against attaching the amendment to his bill. Read the details in The Hill.
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Tagged with: Dorgan, Drug Prices, Healthcare Reform, Online Pharmacies, personal drug importation, pharmaceutical companies, phrma, policy
by Gabriel Levitt, President, PharmacyChecker.com and Prescription Justice | May 3, 2010 | Politics
One of the co-sponsors of the Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act, with Senator Byron Dorgan, was recently honored for “her ongoing advocacy of policies and initiatives that seek to improve the lives of older Americans age 50-plus.” Senator Olympia Snowe (R – ME) was awarded the 2009 Legislative Leadership Award by AARP for her support and efforts toward quality healthcare, especially affordable prescription drugs. This shows just how concerned our leading senior’s organization is with high cost of prescription drugs in this country. That AARP’s focus was on Snowe’s efforts to legalize safe personal drug importation speaks volumes that this issue will persist in the aftermath of the new healthcare legislation.
Tagged with: Dorgan, Drug Prices, Healthcare Reform, personal drug importation, Snowe
