Byron Dorgan: “These two bottles of medicine contain Lipitor. Most people know about Lipitor. It is a cholesterol-lowering drug. This…”

“These two bottles of medicine contain Lipitor. Most people know about Lipitor. It is a cholesterol-lowering drug. This particular prescription drug is produced in Ireland, and it is sent from that production point, in a plant, by the way, that is approved by our Food and Drug Administration. We inspect that plant, as we do others. So they produce an FDA-approved drug--this drug has been approved--in a plant in Ireland that has been inspected by the FDA. These two bottles of medicine containing Lipitor, 20 milligrams, identical bottles with a difference in color, are sent to two different places in this case but sent to many places around the world. This one is sent to the United States to be sold to consumers in the United States that want to lower their cholesterol. This one is sent to consumers in Canada for those Canadians who wish to take Lipitor to lower their cholesterol. There is a difference. Oh, not in the medicine, not in the bottle, and not in the instruction. What is the difference? The American consumer is told: You have to pay twice as much. Let me say that again. The difference is the price. The Canadian consumer is told: You pay half the price. The American consumer is told: You pay double the price. Now, I use the Lipitor as an example only to describe a very significant problem.”