US Senators to Unveil Bipartisan Drug Import Bill

[Guest guest]

US Senators to Unveil Bipartisan Drug Import Bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) Apr 21 - Prominent U.S. senators plan to announce on

Wednesday a bipartisan proposal to legalize the importation of cheaper

U.S.-approved drugs from abroad, aides said.

Few details were available on Tuesday but the idea of easing import

restrictions has been gaining support among Republicans and Democrats in the

U.S. Congress. Several state and municipal governments are also turning to

imports from Canada.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican, promised backers

of such reimportation a chance to bring up a measure this year.

Lead sponsors of the new proposal include Republicans McCain of Arizona

and Olympia Snowe of Maine, both of whom sometimes cross party lines on

health policy, and Democrats Kennedy of Massachusetts, Byron Dorgan

of North Dakota, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota and

Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.

Dorgan has been leading the fight for several years to allow Americans to

get cheaper drugs from Canada. A spokesman on Tuesday confirmed that the

bill would be unveiled on Wednesday but declined to say whether it would

involve countries beyond Canada.

Drug makers oppose importation of lower-priced medicines, and officials in

both the Clinton and Bush administrations have cited safety concerns.

Backers say that steps can be taken to address safety fears.

Iowa Republican Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee,

earlier this month proposed requiring the Food and Drug Administration to

swiftly set up a safe way of allowing Canadian drug imports. The program

could later expand to other industrialized countries.

[Guest guest]

US Senators to Unveil Bipartisan Drug Import Bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) Apr 21 - Prominent U.S. senators plan to announce on

Wednesday a bipartisan proposal to legalize the importation of cheaper

U.S.-approved drugs from abroad, aides said.

Few details were available on Tuesday but the idea of easing import

restrictions has been gaining support among Republicans and Democrats in the

U.S. Congress. Several state and municipal governments are also turning to

imports from Canada.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican, promised backers

of such reimportation a chance to bring up a measure this year.

Lead sponsors of the new proposal include Republicans McCain of Arizona

and Olympia Snowe of Maine, both of whom sometimes cross party lines on

health policy, and Democrats Kennedy of Massachusetts, Byron Dorgan

of North Dakota, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota and

Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.

Dorgan has been leading the fight for several years to allow Americans to

get cheaper drugs from Canada. A spokesman on Tuesday confirmed that the

bill would be unveiled on Wednesday but declined to say whether it would

involve countries beyond Canada.

Drug makers oppose importation of lower-priced medicines, and officials in

both the Clinton and Bush administrations have cited safety concerns.

Backers say that steps can be taken to address safety fears.

Iowa Republican Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee,

earlier this month proposed requiring the Food and Drug Administration to

swiftly set up a safe way of allowing Canadian drug imports. The program

could later expand to other industrialized countries.

[Guest guest]

US Senators to Unveil Bipartisan Drug Import Bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) Apr 21 - Prominent U.S. senators plan to announce on

Wednesday a bipartisan proposal to legalize the importation of cheaper

U.S.-approved drugs from abroad, aides said.

Few details were available on Tuesday but the idea of easing import

restrictions has been gaining support among Republicans and Democrats in the

U.S. Congress. Several state and municipal governments are also turning to

imports from Canada.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican, promised backers

of such reimportation a chance to bring up a measure this year.

Lead sponsors of the new proposal include Republicans McCain of Arizona

and Olympia Snowe of Maine, both of whom sometimes cross party lines on

health policy, and Democrats Kennedy of Massachusetts, Byron Dorgan

of North Dakota, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota and

Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.

Dorgan has been leading the fight for several years to allow Americans to

get cheaper drugs from Canada. A spokesman on Tuesday confirmed that the

bill would be unveiled on Wednesday but declined to say whether it would

involve countries beyond Canada.

Drug makers oppose importation of lower-priced medicines, and officials in

both the Clinton and Bush administrations have cited safety concerns.

Backers say that steps can be taken to address safety fears.

Iowa Republican Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee,

earlier this month proposed requiring the Food and Drug Administration to

swiftly set up a safe way of allowing Canadian drug imports. The program

could later expand to other industrialized countries.

[Guest guest]

US Senators to Unveil Bipartisan Drug Import Bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) Apr 21 - Prominent U.S. senators plan to announce on

Wednesday a bipartisan proposal to legalize the importation of cheaper

U.S.-approved drugs from abroad, aides said.

Few details were available on Tuesday but the idea of easing import

restrictions has been gaining support among Republicans and Democrats in the

U.S. Congress. Several state and municipal governments are also turning to

imports from Canada.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican, promised backers

of such reimportation a chance to bring up a measure this year.

Lead sponsors of the new proposal include Republicans McCain of Arizona

and Olympia Snowe of Maine, both of whom sometimes cross party lines on

health policy, and Democrats Kennedy of Massachusetts, Byron Dorgan

of North Dakota, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota and

Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.

Dorgan has been leading the fight for several years to allow Americans to

get cheaper drugs from Canada. A spokesman on Tuesday confirmed that the

bill would be unveiled on Wednesday but declined to say whether it would

involve countries beyond Canada.

Drug makers oppose importation of lower-priced medicines, and officials in

both the Clinton and Bush administrations have cited safety concerns.

Backers say that steps can be taken to address safety fears.

Iowa Republican Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee,

earlier this month proposed requiring the Food and Drug Administration to

swiftly set up a safe way of allowing Canadian drug imports. The program

could later expand to other industrialized countries.