[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 478 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 478

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to 
     implementing the Medicine Equity and Drug Safety Act of 2000.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 10, 2002

 Mr. Berry (for himself, Mrs. Emerson, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Pomeroy, 
 Mr. Boswell, and Mr. Allen) submitted the following resolution; which 
          was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to 
     implementing the Medicine Equity and Drug Safety Act of 2000.

Whereas Americans fill approximately 3.0 billion prescriptions each year at a 
        cost of almost $117 billion;
Whereas prescription drug spending is projected to continue to increase at a 
        rate of approximately 17 percent per year;
Whereas brand-name prescription drug prices have doubled since 1990;
Whereas average prescription drug prices continue to increase at a rate three 
        times as high as general inflation and twice as high as medical 
        inflation;
Whereas drug prices are two times to ten times more expensive in the United 
        States than they are in other countries;
Whereas the Medicine Equity and Drug Safety Act of 2000 (``MEDS Act'') was 
        enacted pursuant to section 745 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, 
        Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 
        2001 (enacted by reference by Public Law 106-387)(114 Stat. 1549A-35); 
        and
Whereas the MEDS Act would allow pharmacists and drug wholesalers to import less 
        costly prescription drugs into the United States from FDA-approved 
        manufacturing facilities in Canada and other countries: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives urges the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Commissioner of 
Food and Drugs, to implement the Medicine Equity and Drug Safety Act of 
2000 in order to provide less costly prescription drugs to American 
consumers.
                                 <all>