Importing Drug Savings

Only recently drug importation was a topic of wonkish discourse but not an issue taken seriously on Capitol Hill. Now, the idea of importing lower-cost drugs from other countries is so popular that senators are sparring over what bill is best to allow the practice. Although recent news stories may have led some to believe that one of the hottest battles was between Maine’s senators, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, this isn’t exactly how events played out in Washington.

There are in fact two competing bills. The more recent is sponsored by Sen. Judd Gregg, a New Hampshire Republican, and co-sponsored by six Republicans, including Sen. Collins. The other is sponsored by Democrat Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, and co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 21 senators, including Sen. Snowe, long a supporter of drug importation. Both bills would allow the importation of drugs from Canada and other countries in an effort to lower prescription costs, which have risen 10 percent a year since 1995. The bills differ in how many countries the drugs could come from, what safety measures would be put in place and regulation of Internet pharmacies.

Rather than highlighting their differences, the senators behind each bill would be wise to come together to ensure that a bill – preferably one that combines the best provisions from the two measures – gets passed. This would go a long way to dispel concerns that politics, more than concern for seniors and others stressed by rising drug prices, are behind the recent flurry of activity on the drug importation front.

Sen. Gregg is chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), which has jurisdiction over prescription drugs. Despite efforts by fellow Republican John McCain, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, to push the issue by holding hearings before his committee, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said he would only take action on an importation bill if it came through the HELP committee.

With senators on the campaign trail, it could be convenient for Republicans to say that their party supported drug importation, but that Democrats (and a few pesky moderate Republicans) stood in the way of its passage. Sen. Gregg’s bill would not be debated until the fall without enough time for it to pass before the November election.

All this political maneuvering does not have to be wasted. As Sen. Collins said last week: “My hope is that the number of bills and the broad range of supporters will lend momentum to the cause so that we can get this very important concept signed into law this year.”

Hopefully, she is right. A third bill is also in the mix and offers the best solution to lowering drug prices – by negotiation. That measure, also co-sponsored by Sen. Snowe, would allow importation but also repeal the prohibition on Medicare price negotiations. This bill recognizes, as have most countries, that affordable drugs are an essential part of medical care and that negotiating prices is the best way to bring them down.

Americans have long crossed the border, in person or electronically, to buy cheaper drugs in Canada. It is about time that Congress made the process easier and safer.