Gilbert Gutknecht: “we have heard the word ``outrage'' used several times on the House floor, and I rise tonight to talk about the…”

“we have heard the word ``outrage'' used several times on the House floor, and I rise tonight to talk about the outrageous prices that American consumers pay for prescription drugs. And I have behind me a chart, and I apologize for those here on the floor and Members who may be watching on their television sets, it is a little hard to read. But I want to go through this because what it compares is what Americans pay, on average, and this varies because we have a very complicated average wholesale price situation formula they use here in the United States, but these are the average prices, and these are prices that we actually checked ourselves. People have questioned some of the credibility of the sources that I have used. So we did our own research and we went to Munich, Germany about a month ago, and we bought 10 of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States. And let us run through. Cipro, drug made by Bayer. They make the aspirin. They are a German company. In the United States, the average price for 10 tablets, 250 milligrams, $55. We bought it at the Munich airport pharmacy for $35.12, American. Coumadin. My 85-year-old father takes Coumadin. In the United States the average price, $89.95. The price in Munich, Germany, $21. Glucophage, a very popular drug, has done wonderful things for people who suffer from diabetes. Glucophage, $21.95 in the United States, only $5 in Germany. Pravachol, $62.96 in Munich; $149.95 here in the United States.”