Personal stories about safe and affordable drug importation

posted Mon, 25 Jul 2011

Each day at RxRights, we hear from people who support safe and affordable prescription drug importation. Many are seniors on fixed incomes who struggle to make ends meet and sometimes have to choose between buying their needed medications and buying groceries for the week. Other Americans we have heard from simply refuse to pay astronomical prescription drug prices when there is a safe, money-saving alternative in importation.

Many of you have recently written and called us to express your opinions and outage at the high cost of medicine in the U.S. in response to our campaign for safe and affordable medicine.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and stories with us! Some of these stories are so compelling that we decided to share them in order to build support for our campaign. These personal stories illustrate the dire need for continued access to affordable medicine.

Your personal stories:

I feel as though I'm being held hostage by the pharmaceutical companies. I can't afford to pay full price for my Lipitor, Celebrex, and other Rx meds, and my Medicare will neither pay for or fill it. Here we are, citizens of the U.S., and we pay more for our prescriptions than any other country in the world. What is it that our politicians receive in return for standing up for the pharmaceutical companies instead of the citizens?

This is really unacceptable. I wouldn't be able to have my prescriptions were in not for the government of Canada. What does that say about our government?

One wonders how many of the drug lobbyists, CEOs, and Board Members were US government politicians? Why are the people we elected not willing to help us? When you reach Medicare age, I believe, we become thrown away by the US government.

Maryiln Gnagy

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I have been taking Colchicine for years to treat my gout. I want to thank URL Pharma for raising my price up to $231.00 for a 30-day supply of these pills. Since the price increase at the beginning of the year, I have suffered numerous outbreaks of gout in various joints of my body, which has resulted in extended stays in bed with ice packs. Our politicians don't seem to give a rat's behind because they get free medical care and free prescription coverage for life paid for by the American people so why should they care about the rest of us? When is Congress going to live with medical and prescription coverage like the rest of America? The time for SERIOUS change is here!

Robert Rasimas

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I am an unemployed senior citizen on a fixed income. I am not old enough for Medicare nor have any type of assistance for my meds. I rely on Canadian and international pharmacies for affordable medications.

One medication in particular will cost $428.00 per month if I used a US pharmacy. They cannot get the generic of this med due to delays. I can purchase the same med from the Canadian pharmacy in a generic form for a 3-1/2 month supply for $228.00, which includes shipping. I brought the drug to my doctor who said it was the identical med and was safe to use only in generic. Had it not been for the Canadian pharmacy, I would not been able to obtain my much-needed medication.

It is sad that the drug companies and the lobbying make millions of dollars on the backs of poor Americans like myself. It needs to stop and it needs to stop now.

Testuras Almond

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My wife and I are fully fed up with pharma, their lobbyists and pharma’s political bed partners in Washington telling us to bend over when we need critical medications at reasonable prices. We will fight against them vigorously with our vote and our voices and believe me we have a lot of company! We have talked to many people and we are all ready to fight on this subject as well as many others! Washington is getting too corrupt, especially when you see a good number of our so-called leaders trying to shuffle the little guy and the elderly under the table. It is time for a big, big, big change in the way our government does business!!!

John & Margaret Meyer

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I am in a Medicare Advantage Plan with prescription benefits that are quite good; however, while the co-pay is fairly low, some of the inhalers I use have a very high cost. In past years, the cost of these drugs have pushed me into the dreaded "doughnut hole." Towards the end of the year, when I'm sure I'm safe, I then buy these same drugs through my plan.

This saves both my health care provider and me money. What can be wrong with this?

James Cushing-murray

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My prescriptions in the U.S. are $500/month since I am unemployed and have no health insurance. The same prescriptions are $100/month from a foreign pharmacy. The ability to buy these medications at $100/month is the difference between life and death for me. Ending my ability to buy affordable prescriptions is akin to killing me in order for U.S. companies to make more money. Where is the humanity in this bill [Protect IP Act]?

Sharon Kenzer

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I use Allegra which was previously available as a prescription drug. Now the drug companies have made it an over-the-counter drug and I am paying much more for it, and of course, my prescription drug program doesn't pay for it since it is not now a prescription drug. So, I am paying twice—once for the over-the-counter drug and again for the Rx insurance, which I have to continue to fund for other prescriptions. It is obvious that the drug companies and the insurance companies are the only ones profiting from this, and I am absolutely irate to think it costs me at least twice as much to buy it in the U.S. No wonder people are looking for a less expensive way to get their necessary drugs!

Laura Clang

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I was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia one year ago and told that I would have to take a pill every day for the rest of my life and that if I did that I had a 90% chance of living out a normal lifespan. If I didn’t do that, I would be dead in three years, at most. I thought, "WOW! Leukemia is a scary word but all I have to do is take a pill! What a relief.”

That was until I found out that Novartis is the only U S manufacturer that makes it and it costs $120 PER PILL!!! That's $3,600+ per month! I was told by the doctor that Novartis was the ONLY manufacturer in the world and that there was no generic. At that rate, I would be living this month only to pay for next month. What would be the point?

Fortunately, that tale of only one worldwide source didn't ring true and I started an online search and found the generic version, called Imatinib, at 1/12th the cost of Gleevec, manufactured in India and purchased through a Canadian pharmacy.

When I confronted my hematologist with this news he said that yes, he knew of a generic but that the AMA and pharma frowns on doctors advising patients to buy meds from outside the country.

My blood work was back to normal after only ten days on the Imatinib and has remained so for more than a year now.

Thank you Oh Canada!!

Jim Brai