Thomas Mott Osborne: “I think ultimately each of us has to be responsible to our constituents, and what I hear from Nebraska seniors…”

“I think ultimately each of us has to be responsible to our constituents, and what I hear from Nebraska seniors contacting me is much more concern about high prescription drug prices than safety issues. Many of those Nebraskans are already getting their prescription drugs from Canada, and if drug prices continue to escalate as they have been and as they will continue to do, the $400 billion prescription drug benefit passed by the House will be insufficient. I think we all know that intuitively, and I think OMB knows that empirically. So I see that the only solution, that I can think of at least, is holding drug prices down through competition in the free market, which I think most of us believe in. We import meat, fruit, wine, cheeses for direct consumption without undue alarm about safety. Americans take millions of dollars of imported prescription drugs each year, and yet no deaths or significant problems have occurred. I have a lot of confidence in this country. I believe we can have cheaper drugs and also have the intelligence and technology to have safe drugs.”