INTRODUCTION OF MEDICARE INTERNET SITE FOR THE SAFE PURCHASE OF
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AT THE BEST DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL PRICE -- HON. FORTNEY
PETE STARK (Extensions of Remarks - September 07, 2000)
[Page: E1423]
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HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK
OF CALIFORNIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, September 7, 2000
- Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Medicare
Prescription Drug Internet Access Act of 2000. This bill will allow Medicare
beneficiaries to purchase safe, FDA-approved medication through a Med ica
re-ap proved internet site from US and international suppliers at the lowest
possible prices.
- Prescription drug costs are the highest they have ever been. The cost of
prescription medicine increased between 15 and 25 percent over the past year.
As a result, many of our nation's seniors either resort to reducing their
dosage to stretch their supply or simply go without their needed medication.
- Residents of other countries pay less for the same prescription medicine
that our seniors get in the US. Much of the extra cost is related to marketing
and advertising of drugs. Twenty to thirty cents of every dollar spent on a
prescription drug goes to the advertising and marketing of the product.
- Why should Medicare beneficiaries in the United States have to pay more
than residents of other countries for the same medication?
- Under the bill I am introducing today, Medicare beneficiaries would have
access to those lower prices from a safe, certified-reliable source. All a
beneficiary, doctor, or a pharmacy serving a beneficiary has to do is click on
the Medicare home page, type in their prescription, and up pops the five
lowest prices for their medicine, available from domestic and international
suppliers. The beneficiary submits their prescription to the internet
pharmacy, and gets their medicine at the price he or she selects, through the
mail, by express delivery, or at their local retail pharmacy. There is no lag
time in pricing because these prices will be available on a ``real time''
basis. Existing domestic internet pharmacies are eligible to compete for
business on this official Medicare website.
- The only medicine that contracting internet pharmacies would be able to
sell is FDA-approved medicine manufactured in FDA-approved facilities. We have
the best drug approval process in the world. The federal Food and Drug
Administration sends inspectors to other countries to examine the quality of
the medicine, storage conditions and facilities, distribution of the medicine,
and manufacturing facilities of foreign companies before they can import drugs
into the United States. Internet pharmacies, under this bill, would only be
able to import prescription medicine from approved companies that have been
inspected by the FDA.
- There are problems that exist today with phony websites pawning
counterfeit medicine to unsuspecting people. This bill addresses the issue of
so-called ``rogue'' websites. It establishes a uniform set of criteria to
which contracting internet pharmacies must adhere or face criminal and
financial consequences. Among other criteria, internet pharmacies would have
to be licensed in all 50 states as a pharmacy, fully comply with State and
Federal laws, and only dispense medicine with a valid prescription through a
licensed practitioner.
- As an added precaution, internet pharmacies would be required to display a
Medicare Seal of Approval which serves to authenticate the website. The sea[
would directly link to a secure webpage operated by the Medicare contractor
which verifies the internet pharmacy's legitimacy.
- I am proud to introduce the Medicare Prescription Drug Internet Access Act
of 2000. It is unfair that seniors in the US are forced to shoulder a greater
burden in higher drug costs. I urge your support of this bill which would
allow Medicare beneficiaries access to safe, FDA-approved prescription
medicines at lower prices.
END