Rejection suggests senators’ political allegiances to Big Pharma
A budget-resolution amendment proposed by senators Bernie Sanders and Amy Kobluchar – which would have allowed American pharmacies and patients with prescriptions to order pharmaceuticals from other countries – has been rejected by the US Senate, according to a report by Slate.com.
The measure was meant to let struggling US patients order pharmaceuticals from places where they sell for significantly cheaper prices.
“EpiPen, for example, costs more than $600 in the United States compared to $290 in Canada for the exact same allergy treatment,” noted Senator Sanders. “A popular drug for high cholesterol, Crestor, costs $730 in the U.S. but $160 across the northern border. Abilify, a drug to treat depression, is more than $2,636 for a 90-day supply in the US but only $436 in Canada.”
The rejection came in spite of several polls revealing that large majorities of US voters are in favor of the initiative. The support for the proposal or essentially similar ones has persisted for more than a decade, according to Slate’s report.
Prior to the vote, President-elect Donald Trump had also commented that pharmaceutical companies were “getting away with murder” because “Pharma has a lot of lobbies, a lot of lobbyists and a lot of power.”
Among those who voted against the proposal was Democratic Senator Cory Booker. Booker, as well as several other Democrats who also gave their thumbs-downs, was identified by Jezebel columnist Ellie Shechet as among the biggest senatorial recipients of pharmaceutical contributions between 2010 and 2016.
Booker explained his vote to Jezebel by saying that the bill did not “include consumer protections that ensure foreign drugs meet American safety standards.”
Proponents pushing to allow US patients access to cheaper medicines are exploring other fronts. Kobluchar, along with Republican Senator John McCain, together introduced the Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act recently. Sanders has plans to team up with House Representative Elijah E. Cummings to introduce a bill that would nullify restrictions preventing Medicare from haggling with drug companies.
The measure was meant to let struggling US patients order pharmaceuticals from places where they sell for significantly cheaper prices.
“EpiPen, for example, costs more than $600 in the United States compared to $290 in Canada for the exact same allergy treatment,” noted Senator Sanders. “A popular drug for high cholesterol, Crestor, costs $730 in the U.S. but $160 across the northern border. Abilify, a drug to treat depression, is more than $2,636 for a 90-day supply in the US but only $436 in Canada.”
The rejection came in spite of several polls revealing that large majorities of US voters are in favor of the initiative. The support for the proposal or essentially similar ones has persisted for more than a decade, according to Slate’s report.
Prior to the vote, President-elect Donald Trump had also commented that pharmaceutical companies were “getting away with murder” because “Pharma has a lot of lobbies, a lot of lobbyists and a lot of power.”
Among those who voted against the proposal was Democratic Senator Cory Booker. Booker, as well as several other Democrats who also gave their thumbs-downs, was identified by Jezebel columnist Ellie Shechet as among the biggest senatorial recipients of pharmaceutical contributions between 2010 and 2016.
Booker explained his vote to Jezebel by saying that the bill did not “include consumer protections that ensure foreign drugs meet American safety standards.”
Proponents pushing to allow US patients access to cheaper medicines are exploring other fronts. Kobluchar, along with Republican Senator John McCain, together introduced the Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act recently. Sanders has plans to team up with House Representative Elijah E. Cummings to introduce a bill that would nullify restrictions preventing Medicare from haggling with drug companies.
