Byron Dorgan: “Last week, I went to see the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson, and made a presentation in support…”

“Last week, I went to see the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson, and made a presentation in support of a pilot project I want him to approve which would allow the reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada. My pilot project is very simple. It sets up a 2-year pilot project for North Dakota that would allow North Dakota pharmacists to access FDA-approved drugs from pharmacists in Canada. As you know, the administration has been fighting this notion of reimporting prescription drugs. The pharmaceutical industry is fighting it. The administration is fighting it. This is why it is important: In every case--the drug Lipitor, Prevacid, Zocor, Celebrex--it is the same drug put in the same bottle made by the same company sold in two countries, but the charges are much higher to the U.S. consumer. It is not just true with Canada; it is true for every country in the world because the U.S. consumer is charged the highest prices in the world for FDA-approved prescription drugs, and that is not fair.”