Lawmakers OK program to buy foreign medicines
By Mark Niesse
Associated Press
Hawaii residents will be able to buy inexpensive foreign prescription drugs over the Internet under a new state law approved over objections from Gov. Linda Lingle.
The law enrolls Hawaii in a program called I-SaveRx, which will ship un-approved drugs from overseas to island mailboxes against federal rules.
It would be available to everyone but would be most beneficial for residents with inadequate prescription coverage in their health insurance.
Majority Democratic lawmakers overrode the Republican governor's veto of the measure last week to force the state into the program. Opponents said they were concerned about the safety and legality of importing foreign drugs.
"It gives our residents in Hawaii an alternative," said Bruce McCullough, of the Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans. "There has been absolutely no indication of any problem at all with quality."
Hawaii becomes the sixth state to enroll in I-SaveRx, which was started by Illinois in 2004 as a way for senior citizens to avoid high prices for American medicine, with savings of up to 55 percent.
Any island resident can sign on to the program's Web site, fax or mail their prescriptions and then receive a three-month supply of their drugs in the mail within 20 days. The program will start by July 1, 2009.
"We're trying to find options for seniors because we don't want them to have to make choices between basic necessities and their medications," said Sen. Rosalyn Baker (D, Honokohau-Makena).
Although it is illegal to import drugs that do not comply with the federal government's labeling requirements or have not been granted federal approval, I-SaveRx has so far not been targeted by federal authorities.
Critics of the plan worry about the risk of shipping drugs into the United States that have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
"We're not sure how safe the drugs are, and that's based on what we hear from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy," said Lee Ann Teshima, executive officer for the Hawaii Board of Pharmacy. "They can't be guaranteed."
Others argue that foreign drugs are just as good as U.S. drugs. Many of these medications are identical to what is sold in the United States, and the only differences are that they cost less and carry different labeling, they say.
"I feel completely confident that it's a safe law," said Rep. Josh Green (D, Keauhou-Honokohau), a Big Island doctor. "What's unsafe is people having high blood pressure and not being able to afford to treat it."
Supporters say there is no direct cost to the state to enlist in the program, although government employees will have to be assigned to set up a state Web site linking to I-SaveRx.
Residents would pay only for the drugs they buy, with no enrollment fee.
Major health insurance plans usually pay for the bulk of the cost of prescription drugs, eliminating the need of looking for better prices oversees. I-SaveRx ships drugs from Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
