[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 103 (Thursday, September 7, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1423]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    INTRODUCTION OF MEDICARE INTERNET SITE FOR THE SAFE PURCHASE OF 
    PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AT THE BEST DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL PRICE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 7, 2000

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Medicare 
Prescription Drug Internet Access Act of 2000. This bill will allow 
Medicare beneficiaries to purchase safe, FDA-approved medication 
through a Med ica re-ap proved internet site from US and international 
suppliers at the lowest possible prices.
  Prescription drug costs are the highest they have ever been. The cost 
of prescription medicine increased between 15 and 25 percent over the 
past year. As a result, many of our nation's seniors either resort to 
reducing their dosage to stretch their supply or simply go without 
their needed medication.
  Residents of other countries pay less for the same prescription 
medicine that our seniors get in the US. Much of the extra cost is 
related to marketing and advertising of drugs. Twenty to thirty cents 
of every dollar spent on a prescription drug goes to the advertising 
and marketing of the product.
  Why should Medicare beneficiaries in the United States have to pay 
more than residents of other countries for the same medication?
  Under the bill I am introducing today, Medicare beneficiaries would 
have access to those lower prices from a safe, certified-reliable 
source. All a beneficiary, doctor, or a pharmacy serving a beneficiary 
has to do is click on the Medicare home page, type in their 
prescription, and up pops the five lowest prices for their medicine, 
available from domestic and international suppliers. The beneficiary 
submits their prescription to the internet pharmacy, and gets their 
medicine at the price he or she selects, through the mail, by express 
delivery, or at their local retail pharmacy. There is no lag time in 
pricing because these prices will be available on a ``real time'' 
basis. Existing domestic internet pharmacies are eligible to compete 
for business on this official Medicare website.
  The only medicine that contracting internet pharmacies would be able 
to sell is FDA-approved medicine manufactured in FDA-approved 
facilities. We have the best drug approval process in the world. The 
federal Food and Drug Administration sends inspectors to other 
countries to examine the quality of the medicine, storage conditions 
and facilities, distribution of the medicine, and manufacturing 
facilities of foreign companies before they can import drugs into the 
United States. Internet pharmacies, under this bill, would only be able 
to import prescription medicine from approved companies that have been 
inspected by the FDA.
  There are problems that exist today with phony websites pawning 
counterfeit medicine to unsuspecting people. This bill addresses the 
issue of so-called ``rogue'' websites. It establishes a uniform set of 
criteria to which contracting internet pharmacies must adhere or face 
criminal and financial consequences. Among other criteria, internet 
pharmacies would have to be licensed in all 50 states as a pharmacy, 
fully comply with State and Federal laws, and only dispense medicine 
with a valid prescription through a licensed practitioner.
  As an added precaution, internet pharmacies would be required to 
display a Medicare Seal of Approval which serves to authenticate the 
website. The sea[ would directly link to a secure webpage operated by 
the Medicare contractor which verifies the internet pharmacy's 
legitimacy.
  I am proud to introduce the Medicare Prescription Drug Internet 
Access Act of 2000. It is unfair that seniors in the US are forced to 
shoulder a greater burden in higher drug costs. I urge your support of 
this bill which would allow Medicare beneficiaries access to safe, FDA-
approved prescription medicines at lower prices.

                          ____________________