Bad news: Senator Byron Flickertail's ill-considered drug importation amendment was approved in a voice vote.
Good news: The Senate voted 49-40 in favor of an amendment from Senator Thad Cochran requiring certification from the Secretary of Health and Human Services that importation can be done safely.
That's something that Secretaries of HHS from both parties have never been able to do. Not Secretary Shalala. Not Secretary Thompson. Why? Because allowing medicines from outside our closed regulatory system into the legitimate American supply chain would lead to a safety nightmare. Also, according to multiple sources including the CBO, it would lead to insignificant savings.
Propaganda is one thing. Public health is another.
Talk about a no-brainer risk/benefit equation.
Good news: The Senate voted 49-40 in favor of an amendment from Senator Thad Cochran requiring certification from the Secretary of Health and Human Services that importation can be done safely.
That's something that Secretaries of HHS from both parties have never been able to do. Not Secretary Shalala. Not Secretary Thompson. Why? Because allowing medicines from outside our closed regulatory system into the legitimate American supply chain would lead to a safety nightmare. Also, according to multiple sources including the CBO, it would lead to insignificant savings.
Propaganda is one thing. Public health is another.
Talk about a no-brainer risk/benefit equation.
