[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 17, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H3406-H3407]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       COST OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kuhl of New York). Under a previous 
order of the House, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht) is 
recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GUTKNECHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to talk about the price of 
prescription drugs here in the United States compared to what consumers 
pay in other industrialized countries in the world.
  I have some charts with me tonight because I want to point out some 
differences. There are several that I think are important. This is a 
chart, and some numbers are hard to read. These are 10 of the most 
commonly prescribed drugs in the United States. We have Nexium and 
Norvasc and Zyrtec and Zocor. I want to point out Zocor, we have a 
price, and these were all done just in the last few months. We have a 
price from the Metropolitan Pharmacy in Frankfurt, Germany and a local 
pharmacy in Rochester, Minnesota.
  If we total all of these drugs for a month's supply, in Frankfurt, 
Germany, they would cost $455.57 in U.S. dollars. Also in U.S. dollars 
in the United States, the price of those same drugs, those same 10 
best-selling prescription drugs would be $1,040.04. Over the last year, 
the value of the dollar has declined by about 20 percent. We thought 
the differences we pay in the United States and what our German friends 
pay would have gotten less. We

[[Page H3407]]

were surprised to learn that the differences have gotten worse.
  For example, Zocor, a very commonly prescribed drug for people who 
have some heart problems or problems with their circulation, Zocor in 
the United States on average sells for $85 for a month's supply. In 
Germany you can buy that drug for $23.83.
  Mr. Speaker, what is interesting about this story is that one of my 
colleagues came up to me and he saw this chart. He said, I take Zocor. 
I said how much do you pay for it. He said a copay for a U.S. 
Congressman for that Zocor is $30 here in the United States. You can 
walk in off the street to the Metropolitan Pharmacy in Frankfurt, 
Germany and pay $23.83, and the Germans think they are paying too much 
for prescription drugs.
  Mr. Speaker, I am holding in my hand two boxes of Celebrex. They are 
exactly the same. They come from the same plant. If you bought this box 
of Celebrex in the United States, you would pay more than double what 
you pay for the same drug in Germany.
  Now, I think Americans are willing to, and I speak on behalf of most 
Americans, we understand there is a cost to develop these drugs. There 
is a cost to market these drugs. Unfortunately, there is too much being 
spent on advertising, but I am not one who says they should not be able 
to advertise. But I believe Americans ought to have access to world-
class drugs at world-market prices. I am asking my colleagues to join 
me in supporting, and I have another chart that is easier to read, 
compare London to Athens to the United States. We now have pharmacists 
from around the world who regularly send us their prices for the drugs.
  In almost every case, it is less than half what we pay in the United 
States. These same five drugs, Lipitor, Nexium, Prevacid, Zoloft, and 
Zyrtec, those five drugs in London, $195.95. In Athens, $231.04; but 
here in the United States, $507.96.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask Members to please join me in cosponsoring H.R. 
328, the Pharmaceutical Market Access Act of 2005. It is time to make 
clear that Americans have access to world-class drugs at world-market 
prices.

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