[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 130 (Monday, October 11, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1885]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1885]]
                       EMBRACE DRUG REIMPORTATION

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. NICK J. RAHALL II

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 7, 2004

  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, today I ask a very serious question. Why is 
it, the Cheney-Bush bunch allow us to import foreign made flu vaccines, 
but won't allow Americans to shop for American made cheaper drugs 
across our borders?
  We all know the importance of getting our flu vaccines every year. 
The Washington Post reports that last year's flu season was the worst 
flu season we've had in 4 years, and the flu killed 142 people. As all 
Americans are aware, there is another flu vaccine crisis in our 
country.
  America's supply of the flu vaccine has practically been cut in half, 
because the world's second-leading supplier, The Chiron Corp. based in 
Britain, was shut down because of contamination reported in its batches 
of the vaccine.
  48 million vaccines were due to be shipped before this shutdown. I 
repeat, 48 million doses of this vaccine were to be imported into this 
country, to help combat a life-threatening illness.
  Mr. Speaker, I speak to address a glaring policy inconsistency on the 
part of the Cheney-Bush administration.
  Why is it, that a long-standing health policy, that is wildly 
effective and successful, be permitted with respect to one killer, but 
denied to every other disease?
  142 people died from the flu last year, and it causes outrage and 
action. 250,000 people die from heart attacks before they even get to 
the hospital each year, and it's accepted as just another statistic.
  How many of these 250,000 could have been saved, if only they'd had 
medicine to lower their cholesterol?
  How many of these 250,000 could have been saved, if only they'd been 
able to afford their medicine?
  According to a recent press release from the University of Michigan 
Health System, nearly half of patients who have a prescription for any 
of the cholesterol-fighting drugs called statins fail to fill their 
prescription every time--or stop filling it altogether! The University 
goes on to say that the higher the prescription cost, the lower the 
number of prescriptions filled.
  Let's ignore, for a moment, that Europe has been importing drugs 
safely and effectively for over 20 years.
  Let us also ignore that countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, 
Germany, and France also have higher life expectancies and lower child 
mortality rates than the United States does.
  But let us not ignore a new FDA proposal. A proposal that would 
require customs agents to return all drugs sent from foreign addresses 
back to their senders.
  William Hubbard, a senior associate commissioner at the FDA, told 
Congress on June 7th, ``We need to make a blanket assessment that these 
drugs are not safe for American consumers and they should be turned 
back.''
  Unless, of course, it's the flu vaccine.
  And then it's OK if they come from the United Kingdom, as in the case 
of the Chiron Corp. Or if it comes from the world's largest supplier of 
the flu vaccine, the French company, Aventis Pasteur.
  Yes, there are criticisms about the safety of imported drugs. One 
might be able to look to this most recent flu vaccine scare and say 
that this is a perfect example of why we don't import drugs. The safety 
of the supply could be compromised.
  I would say that this is a perfect example of why we should import 
from countries like Canada or the United Kingdom. They have safeguards 
in place, just as we do, that protect the integrity of the prescription 
drug supply.
  On August 12th, the acting FDA commissioner Lester Crawford expressed 
his concern that al-Qaida may attack the supply of drugs coming into 
this country.
  I will tell you that I am JUST AS CONCERNED about the 28 percent of 
older adults with diabetes who, as reported in the February 2004 issue 
of Diabetes Care, are going without food or other essentials to pay for 
their insulin.
  Why, in the richest nation on Earth, with this so-called 
comprehensive new Medicare program, are people going without food to 
afford their drugs?
  Why is the Administration so opposed to a program that would help so 
many?
  So, Mr. Speaker, I urge not only the duly elected Representatives of 
the citizens in these United States, but also the President to do what 
is in the best interests of these citizens.
  I urge both Congress and the President to embrace prescription drug 
re-importation and reject the influence of the pharmaceutical 
companies.

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