Fair Trade? Rx

[Shoeman]

A company can move its factories to Mexico and claim it's a free market.
A toy company can outsource to a Chinese subcontractor and claim it's a
free market. A major bank can incorporate in Bermuda to avoid taxes and claim it's a free market. We can buy HP Printers made in Mexico. We can buy shirts made in Bangladesh. We can purchase almost anything we want from many different countries BUT, heaven help the elderly who dare to buy their prescription drugs from a Canadian (Or Mexico) pharmacy. That's called un-American! And you think the pharmaceutical companies don't have a powerful lobby? Think again! This is the only real solution to rising health care costs. The recent government plan requires shifting the burden to someone else, which ultimately will be those who pay taxes.
There are no hidden taxes when companies have to compete for your
business.

[Jimbos]

Yep, 100% agree, ain't that some crap?

[kingfisher 11]

Has more to do with the FDA. They think they are protecting us from drugs that may not be safe.

We are getting just plain ripped off. I don't believe in much government control. I do believe that Health insurances, medical costs, drugs and energy costs are all way out of control. Something has to done about them.

We are funding all the R&D for the drug compaines and they sell them all over the world. Lot of these companies are owned by parent companies overseas. Good ole USA shoulders lots of the expenses.

[TrailFndr]

Has more to do with the FDA. They think they are protecting us from drugs that may not be safe.

WRONG!!

the Pharmicutical companies have even gone so far as to threaten Canadian Pharmacies with not getting thier product if they sell back to Americans.

FDA knows as well as anyone else, Canadian Drugs are the SAME as American, made in the same plants, at the same time, with the same stringent controls.

Canadian LAW forbides the Pharmicutical company to charge more than 3% over the cost of manufacture. They are NOT allowed to add on Research and Development costs, OR Advertising costs. Nor are they allowed to advertise to the public in Canada.

The Pharmicutical Companies feel that to pay for the R&D, they must raise prices HERE since they are not allowed to do so in Canada, nor in many other INTELLIGENT countries that put PEOPLE before company profits.

[kingfisher 11]

Wrong!!! FDA was the first to complain about safety. They can not guarantee the same quality. Of course the drug companies are going to use strong arm tatics to stop the loss of of profits. Your numbers about what CD can charge for profit are correct. About the only thing so far.


Its getting to the point that your not worth my time to answer your rebuttals. Your on an hatred mission.

[Shoeman]

Come on guys...

I only posted this after an old time friend came down with pancreatic cancer. He sent his wife to the pharmacy to fill one of his many prescriptions. He gave her 200 bucks and she came back empty handed. Just one of the scripts was 700 dollars. The same drug just a short swim across the river retails for around 250.

To top it off, he's been out of work for the last month do to his illness and his company is threatening to remove him from the payroll and their benefits package.

A sour dose of reality :mad:

[kingfisher 11]

Sorry Shoeman, right now I have a shadow. If I say black he says white.

It is real tough on anyone who has to buy prescriptions. I take a few maintenance meds myself. The insurance companies are hurting us to. They are dropping some meds from the list they will pay for. If you need them and have to take them then you are forced to pay out of your pocket. This is the case if there are no generic. I am experencing this right now. They will pay for part of if. If I want to pay the new fee of $100 per refill verses the old $25.

You really have to feel sorry for those out of work or retired with no insurance.

[TrailFndr]

Here is your Shadow again.....

Its no wonder that the FDA and other regulatory agencies of the Bush administration refuse to certify the sales of re-imported drugs from Canada. the Lobbiests for the Drug Companies are some of the most POWERFUL in the land. They spend more on lobbists to get thier way than any other group. They also contribute heavily to mostly republican candidates in an effort to gain clout.

We all have seen over the past 3 years, what this president has done to benifit Big Bussiness at the expense of the people in this country. What amazes me is the magnitude of brainwashing that has taken place. The following section of a news article from the Milwakee Journal Sentinal, as well as the links that follow show the sheer clout and power of these companies.

Drug industry spending

The prescription drug industry certainly has been a major supporter of the Republican Party. A report issued this week by the watchdog group Public Citizen detailed how much money the industry has spent to prevent proposals that would cut into its industry profits:

>Last year, the drug industry spent a record $91 million on federal lobbying activities, a 12% increase over the previous year. And the industry spent an additional $50 million to influence Congress through advertising, public relations, direct mail, telemarketing and grants to advocacy groups and academics that push the industry's position, the report said.
>The industry hired 675 lobbyists in 2002, nearly seven lobbyists for each senator. The lobbyists included 26 former members of Congress.
>Brand-name drug-makers spent 20 times more on lobbying than generic drug-makers.
>Since 1997, the top 25 drug companies and industry trade groups spent $49 million in federal campaign donations, with 80% going to Republicans. Most of that was in the form of unregulated soft-money.
Since 1997, the drug industry has spent a total of nearly $650 million to influence the federal government.

"The pharmaceutical industry has proven time and again its ability to fend off any encroachment on the bottom line. It's risky to bet against them," the report says.

But some Republicans are bucking the administration and the drug industry.

"The FDA has stood between Americans and affordable prescription drugs for too long," U.S. Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-Minn.) said. He plans to introduce an amendment that would allow drugs from Canada.

U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said American consumers are held captive in a market that forces them to pay 30% to 300% more for the same FDA-approved prescription drugs produced in the same FDA-approved facilities.

"I cannot see why we should ban people from buying FDA-approved drugs across border if they are cheaper," he said.


Full article (http://www.jsonline.com/bym/news/jun03/151041.asp)


Canadian Drug imports Targeted (http://www.softcom.net/webnews/wed/bd/Uus-pfizer.R2kh_Da7.html)

From USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/drugs/2003-04-21-astrazeneca-allotments_x.htm)

What Represenitive Burton had to say (http://usgovinfo.about.com/b/a/016870.htm)

Philly.com (http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/business/6474206.htm)

Mercer Human Resourse consulting (http://www.mercerhr.ca/knowledgecenter/reportsummary.jhtml/dynamic/idContent/1130865)

[Swamp Monster]

Come on Kinkfisher, don't you know that every thing bad in this country is directly the fault of our president?!! LOL.......quick, duck, I see a black helicopter on the horizon!

[FREEPOP]

This is a new thing that has only happened in the last three years? Sure they have huge money and they're gonna pocket any and everyone in power. Is it right? no, but until we as a nation step up and put our foot down, this will continue reguardless of which party is in control.

[TrailFndr]

Freepop

I agree, its not new, but still just as WRONG...time for a change...in fact...Way PAST time