Karen Thurman: “And I think there were some issues out here also that are very alarming and very concerning and certainly ones that, I…”

“And I think there were some issues out here also that are very alarming and very concerning and certainly ones that, I think, based on the constituency in the Fifth District in talking with them, that they were seeing high increases in their prescription drugs today. I mean, we know for a fact that they grew almost by 17 percent this year. We are not seeing anything in this piece of legislation that speaks to the high cost of prescription drugs. And so they understand that because they have constantly, and it is not just in the Fifth District of Florida. I mean, they get this. They understand that they are paying way more than other countries, Canada, the borders of Canada, we know what is happening over there. We know the busloads of people that are going to Canada to pick up their prescription drugs. We know they are out on the Internet to the Canadian Drug Store I think is the name of the sites. Mexico, people are sending overseas for these medicines, not because they do not want to be able to purchase them here, but when they are taking two or three medicines and they are costing 3 to $400 with one supply being 150 and another being 200 and another maybe 50, they cannot afford it. And they understand that they feel better on an everyday basis when they have that medicine being taken as the doctor has prescribed it, and they understand that they are not having complications with their health when they are able to take this.”