Copyright 1999 Federal Document Clearing House, Inc.
Federal Document Clearing House Congressional Testimony
July 29, 1999
SECTION: CAPITOL HILL HEARING TESTIMONY
LENGTH: 949 words
HEADLINE:
TESTIMONY July 29, 1999 ELLEN YUI HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS SOCIAL
SECURITY Y2K COMPUTER PROBLEM AND SOCIAL SECURITY
BODY:
WRITTEN TESTIMONY OF ELLEN YUI before the U.S. House of Representatives
Committee on Commerce Subcommittee On Oversight and Investigations July 30, 1999
Mr. Chairman, thank you for inviting me here today to testify about the benefits
of drugstore shopping online. I am very familiar with the world of e-commerce
because I spend a good part of every day in front of a computer. And, it is that
personal computer that has afforded me the opportunity to run a small business
from my house, enabling me to continue my career as a communications consultant,
earn money, and be near my two boys, all at the same time. My husband also runs
his own business, which would not be possible without the Internet. We conduct
our banking on-line, and purchase personal computers, software, books, CDs,
plane tickets, even great cheese from France, on-line. With that in mind, I wish
to talk to you today about three thoughts that come to mind when I think of
on-line pharmacies: convenience; privacy-which has a double meaning here; and
cost. Time, or the lack of it, is the overriding theme of my life. I actively
seek services and products that will save me time, make me more efficient,
educate me, and of course save money for those looming college tuitions. Permit
me to take a minute and describe for you my "typical day as a working mom," and
you'll understand why. When I wake up at 6:00 am, a stopwatch is clicked on in
my brain, and I start running from one juggling act to another. I try to get out
of bed before my family and walk my two dogs. This is not always possible, as my
husband travels three to four days a week, basically making me a single mom much
of the time. I get myself and my kids dressed, feed everybody breakfast, get the
kids off to school, and then race back to my desk at home before the phone
starts ringing. I work all day. If I'm lucky, I can squeeze in a personal
errand, such as running to the supermarket, the dry cleaners, car wash, maybe
volunteer at my children's school, but getting away from my desk seems to be
more and more problematic. At 5:00, my wonderful childcare provider goes home,
and it's another dog walk, then homework, dinner, baths, reading to the boys,
sometimes a little more work or bills, and then I collapse. You could poll 1,000
working moms across this country, and I would venture to guess you'd hear 1,000
very similar renditions of that story. Juggling all of this leaves me almost no
time for shopping, any kind of shopping. I am almost embarrassed to admit how
often I run out of basic supplies at home. So, the opportunity to purchase cough
syrup, ibuprofen, Band-Aids, tissues, vitamins, hairspray, or my favorite shade
of nail polish-without long lines, crowded aisles, slow cashiers, and parking
hassles-is a dream come true. For me, it's a luxury that translates into one
more hour of quality time with my kids. And dragging them to stores is not
pleasant for the kids, for me, or for anybody in that store. But also important
to me is the good healthcare information that is provided on these sites. I am
very skeptical of any drug- prescribed or over-the-counter-and am always a bit
nervous about their possible side effects, particularly in my children's small
bodies. I was thrilled to discover the wealth of detailed information available
about prescription drugs through on-line pharmacies. In my family, we require
some regular medication. On-line pharmacies will take my order and payment in
minutes, deliver the prescription directly to my home, and even send me a
reminder email that it's time to refill the prescription, now that's a Godsend.
For years, I purchased prescription drugs from our local family pharmacy,
conveniently located in the same building as our doctors' offices. And as a
small business owner, I go out of my way to support small businesses.
Unfortunately, now that our pharmacist is nearing retirement age and cutting
back his hours, he's not as convenient anymore. To my chagrin, the age of
personal service at pharmacies has passed. Because of negative experiences I
have had with impersonal service and multiple incorrectly filled prescriptions
at major chain pharmacies, I do not believe I am missing out on customer service
by buying on- line. In fact, today's drug counters do not offer an opportunity
for a private discussion between customers and the on-duty pharmacist. You can
picture what I mean. You are down on the floor, looking up at the pharmacist and
often shouting questions, letting the whole world know that your kids caught
something from school, like whooping cough, or head lice, or something else that
you don't really want to share. With some on-line pharmacies, I can even email
questions directly to a pharmacist in the privacy of my home 24-hours, 7 days a
week. Now that's service, and a convenience I need in my life. This is not to
say I don't have reservations, and here's the flipside of the privacy issue. I
am always cautious about on-line purchases and sometimes worry that I might
expose myself to financial fraud, or that a company will sell my name and data
on my buying habits to another firm. And of course, as a mother, I hope Congress
can find a way to prevent children from buying inappropriate or illegal drugs
over the Internet. Finally, cost. On-line
pharmacies can offer products at reduced cost. As they become
more accepted by consumers and health plans, their ability to offer products at
competitive prices will increase. And that is good news for consumers-not to
mention that more time for my family is priceless. Again, thank you for inviting
me here today. Now I would love to answer any of your questions, so fire away.
LOAD-DATE: August 4, 1999 
