H.H.S. report on drug importation concludes that there are significant risks associated with importing drugs for personal use.

The Medicare Modernization Act passed by Congress in 2003, contained a provision that would permit the importation of prescription drugs into the U.S. if the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) certified that drugs imported from Canada posed no additional risk to public health and safety and that such imports provided significant cost savings to American consumers. H.H.S. released the results of its study of these issues on December 21, 2004.

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December 22, 2004

Advertising of prescription drugs can have a major impact on under-treated and under-diagnosed conditions and can help improve health outcomes.

During the past decade the number of patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and arthritis have increased dramatically as the “baby-boom” generation ages. The increased prevalence of chronic conditions is primarily responsible for increased utilization of prescription drugs. The early diagnosis and treatment of many diseases and conditions can improve health outcomes by preventing or delaying disability and by avoiding hospitalizations. Drug advertising is a useful tool in providing information to consumers and can have a major impact on traditionally under-diagnosed and under-treated conditions. A significant number of diseases are under-treated, often because individuals are either unaware that they have the condition, or they are not receiving appropriate treatment for their condition.

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November 01, 2004

Higher costs for physician and institutional services account for most of the differences in health spending between Canada and the United States.

The most recent comparison of health spending among developed countries published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reveals that the gap in health sending between the United States and other developed countries continues to grow. The OECD Health Data 2004 report further confirms that higher spending on physician and hospital services in the United States accounts for nearly 60 percent of the difference between American and Canadian health spending while prescription drugs accounts for less than 10 percent of the difference.

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August 29, 2004

State-sanctioned drug importation websites demonstrate problems regulating quality, safety and patient privacy standards of foreign pharmacies.

During the past year a handful of states including Minnesota, Wisconsin and New Hampshire have sanctioned websites to facilitate the importation of prescription drugs for their residents. In order to assure the safety and quality of foreign drug supplies, some states have imposed certain conditions on selected internet drug sellers.

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August 08, 2004

Patients throughout the world rely on American health related R&D to find tomorrow’s treatments and cures.

Over the past two decades medical innovation has helped to increase life expectancy, contain health spending growth and improve the quality of life for patients throughout the world by reducing hospitalization and allowing people to remain active and productive as they age. However, increasingly, in many developed countries, barriers to innovation such as price controls, inefficient regulatory reviews and access restrictions are making it more difficult for patients to exploit the benefits of medial innovation.

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July 25, 2004