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Governments eye Canada for cheap drugs
From Louise Schiavone
(CNN) -- Despite safety warnings from U.S. agencies, Americans in growing numbers -- and even some governments -- are crossing the border into Canada to buy prescription drugs to save money. As drug costs continue to rise rapidly, U.S. consumers are projected to spend more than $250 billion on prescription drugs by 2006, according to estimates by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts, is trying to lower that cost by buying drugs from a Canadian online pharmacy for his municipal health plan. Canada's government regulates its prescription drug prices. "We're looking at anywhere from $4 to $9 million [in savings] on an annual basis in Springfield, Massachusetts," says Mayor Michael Albano. "A pretty good chunk of money that can be redirected into vital public services such as police, fire, public education." Albano said he personally buys insulin from Canada for his teenage son, for annual savings of $250. Springfield is not alone in trying to cut prescription drug costs. Iowa, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota are all considering similar measures. The price differences can be drastic. For example, 90 Coumadin pills, a blood-thinner, cost about $90 in the United States and only $50 [American] in Canada. Sixty cancer treatment tamoxifen pills for U.S. consumers are roughly $52, while across the border they go for $38. And 30 anti-inflammatory Vioxx pills fetch $78 for U.S. pharmacies and are only $37 in Canada. The American Association of Retired Persons reports that an estimated 1 million Americans use Canada as a source for their prescription drugs, whether in person or online. As more Americans have become aware of the savings from Canada, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has thrown up warning flags, advising that it is illegal to import drugs and that the safety of them cannot be assured. The FDA says that the Canadian system is comparable with the one in the United States in terms of safety and regulation, but some Web sites say they're supplying drugs from Canada but really aren't. "These companies are not run by pharmacists by and large, [and] are not licensed in Canada," said the FDA's William Hubbard. "[They] often get drugs, we believe, from Third World countries." That has pharmacists in Canada worrying about their market and the price backlash for their citizens. "It will inevitably, I believe, put some pressure on Canadian prices," said Jeff Poston with the Canadian Pharmacists Association. "We've already seen some manufacturers increase their prices in the Canadian market." And with those increases, Americans may find in the future that prices aren't as cheap across the border.
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