Editorials

It's a two-faced street!!

A car company can move it's factories to Mexico and claim it's a free market.

A toy company can out source to a Chinese subcontractor and claim it's a free market.

A shoe company can produce its shoes in southeast Asia and claim it's a free market.

A major bank can incorporate in Bermuda to avoid taxes and claim it's a free market.

We can buy HP Printers made in Mexico! .. We can buy shirts made in Bangladesh . We can purchase almost anything we want from 20 different countries, with an 'American' company label imbedded somewhere on the label.

BUT, heaven help the senior citizens who dare to buy their prescription drugs from a Canadian or Mexican pharmacy. That's called un-American! And you think the pharmaceutical companies don't have a powerful lobby? Think again!

I understand that an astronomical sum of money must be dedicated to research and development of new drugs to combat an increasing number of ailments that plague our modern society. What I don't understand is why we, American citizens, have to bear the brunt of the expense while other countries, and I don't think Canada can be considered a third world country, can purchase and market the drugs from companies based in the United States for far less money, pennies on the dollar, which they pass on to their citizens. 

One of the prevalent explanations is the strict  restrictions and requirements placed by the FDA on testing and approving all drugs before they are accepted into the United States, for protection to the consumers. OK, I can deal with that, although I don't like paying those large sums and if I didn't have decent medical insurance, I would surely die as they is no way I could afford the full price just to stay alive, but if they are looking out for me and the rest of our fellow citizens, then so be it, safety first.

I received a new shipment of Neoral, (cyclosporine) a very expensive drug critical to my maintaining my kidney transplant, and I always get the name brand, as my doctors feel that I react better to the more consistent brand of approved medication. Lo and behold, the doctor's office forgot to check the box indicating 'Name Brand' and I received the generic equivalent. I have taken the generics before, and my system doesn't react as well to them, which is indicated in my periodic blood tests.

BUT, this was not a generic manufactured in the United States, but stated that it was 'Made in Czeck Republic'. Whoa, Whoa, Whoa; with the recall of a multitude of products from pet food to mouth wash to toothpaste from foreign countries, due to potential contaminants that could possibly harm or in some cases of pet food, cause kidney failure and death, this is just what I need. Now don't get me wrong, this drug is likely as safe as anything on the market, but I can't take a chance.

I contacted my provider of services for medications and was connected to a pharmacist, who was very knowledgeable and questioned why I was concerned, which I explained quite easily. I was informed that a substantial amount of American sold mendicants and pharmaceuticals, especially those with the American brand name on the label, often come from overseas for use by the American public. I was also informed that all of these medications were examined, tested and approved by the FDA before being released to the public.  

Let me get this straight, my mendicants come in small sealed gel capsules and the FDA is going to check all of them? I don't think so, and I ask you, what's to keep contaminants from being implanted into medications such as mine and by the time they were discovered, then for some of us, it is far too late. If I am buying foreign medications, then let me get them directly from Canada, for a much lower price and let the rest of our senior citizens as well as people on limited income have the same access. If I have to pay the American price, then I should get American made; otherwise give me the Czech version for the cheap price.
 

That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.