It's horrible when we don't have enough regulation for food coming into the country, but

[RB TexLa]

a vote for having standards and regulation on pharmaceuticals coming into the country is a "vote against the people?"


Just wanted to make sure I understood some of the loud voices on DU. Bad stuff in food being imported is bad and needs more regulation and inspection. Requiring that foreign drugs coming in be safe is bad as well, let people sell drugs made where ever and just see if Grandma is ok after taking them.

[WyLoochka]

1. Show me the dead Canadians

The drugs were not to come from "where ever." There was specificity about origin that was included in the bill. Moreover, "Grandma" is taking drugs right now - that she pays exorbitantly for - that are manufactured in many other countries. Like most industries, manufacturing of RX drugs has been off shored with little manufacturing taking place here is the US. We just pay much much more for the exact same drugs than people in most other countries pay.

From Sirota's Hostile Takeover book:

"As Minnesota Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty said in pushing to legalize imports, 'My first response to that (safety argument) is show me the dead Canadians. Where are the dead Canadians?'...The answer is, they don't exist. As Knight-Ridder reported in 2003, 'FDA officials can't name a single American who's been injured or killed by drugs bought from licensed Canadian pharmacies.' Similarly, Canada's health ministry reported that it does not have any information that would indicate that any Americans have become ill or have died as a result of taking prescription medications purchased from Canada." It is why, under pressure, President Bush suddenly forgot his politically-motivated opposition to drug imports and said in 2004 the United States would try to buy flu vaccine from Canada to deal with a domestic shortage - because there really is no safety concern. Even some drug executives are now coming clean about the lie. Dr. Peter Rost, the Vice President of Pfizer who oversees the company's European operations, first blew the whistle in 2004. 'The safety issue is a made-up story, Rost said. "The real concern about safety is about people who do not take drugs because they cannot afford it.'"

More on this travesty 14 Democrats went along with:

http://www.workingassetsblog.com/2007/05/how_much_phrma_cash_exposes_fr.html

[RB TexLa]

3. Oh, of course if the US were opened up to it, no one would dare try to cash in

by making drugs as cheaply as they could to sell here. Of course the drugs will only come from Canada or Europe, and no one would ever use the internet to rip people off by selling them something that isn't up to standard. I guess I just need to trust offers made in e-mails more... ok, guess I need to go help my long lost Nigerian cousin get his money out of the country now, too bad the bill failed I bet he could get me scrips for probably 95% off from approved origins of course.

[AndyA]

2. Bush is just taking care of his buds in the pharmaceutical business.

And screwing the American people at the same time.

Just what you'd expect from a Christian, compassionate conservative, right?

[PDJane]

4. Drugs from Canada are one thing.........

Meds from China are something else. Three of the last four clusters of deaths from substitution of a solvent used in anti-freeze, among other things, for harmless glycerin have been traced to China. These things have killed hundreds of Children world-wide.......because glycerin is used in all kinds of cough and cold medicines, for starters.

People will do a lot of things to get cash, and China does not regulate its manufacturers. If we want cheap "stuff," this will continue to happen.