Senate Blocks Bid to Allow Drug Imports, reports the Washington Post this evening.
"On a 49-40 vote, the Senate required the administration to certify the safety and effectiveness of imported drugs before they can be imported, a requirement that officials have said they cannot meet."
Well done, Senator Cochran.
But it's not time to relax yet. To paraphrase Dennis Miller, importation has been declared dead more times than a narcoleptic Jason Voorhees. So expect to see this political crowd-pleaser resurrect itself in time to lurch around Washington during the '08 elections.
Here's a good summary of the legislative outcome and prospects for the future from the May 8 Kaiser report:
ReplyDeleteSenate Passes Prescription Drug Reimportation Amendments Allowing Practice, Requiring Safety of Reimported Drugs To Be Certified
Key quotes:
1) "We're going to keep fighting," says Dorgan.
2) "drug importation language is expected to get a more sympathetic hearing in that chamber," CQ Today reports.
Adam