Senate Bill sb0484

    Florida Senate - 2003        (NP)                       SM 484

    By Senator Fasano





    11-401-03

  1                     Senate Memorial No. ____

  2         A memorial to the Congress of the United

  3         States, urging Congress to enact legislation

  4         repealing laws that prohibit importation of

  5         large quantities of prescription drugs to the

  6         United States in order to open the market for

  7         prescription drugs to competition from foreign

  8         manufacturers and create opportunity for the

  9         public to purchase prescription drugs at lower

10         prices.

11  

12         WHEREAS, nearly 20 percent of all Floridians are senior

13  citizens who are 65 years or older, and

14         WHEREAS, most senior citizens are dependent on

15  prescription drugs to maintain their health and well-being,

16  and

17         WHEREAS, Atorvastatin Calcium, also known as Lipitor, a

18  drug prescribed to reduce and manage cholesterol levels, sells

19  for $1.88 per pill in the United States, but sells for 86

20  cents per pill in England, 74 cents per pill in Italy, 69

21  cents per pill in Germany, and 60 cents per pill in France,

22  and

23         WHEREAS, Omeprasole, also known as Prilosec, a drug

24  prescribed for treatment of acid-reflux disease, chronic

25  heartburn, ulcers, and other conditions caused by excessive

26  stomach acid, sells for $3.69 per pill in the United States,

27  but sells for $1.31 per pill in England, $1.34 per pill in

28  Italy, $1.39 per pill in Germany, and $1.22 per pill in

29  France, and

30         WHEREAS, laws presently in effect in the United States

31  prohibit importation of large quantities of prescription

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2003        (NP)                       SM 484
    11-401-03




 1  drugs, thereby depriving the persons within the United States

 2  of reasonable opportunity to purchase prescription drugs

 3  manufactured in foreign countries at prices lower than those

 4  charged for prescription drugs manufactured in the United

 5  States, and

 6         WHEREAS, such laws conflict with the precepts of a free

 7  market economy, unduly restrict the market for prescription

 8  drugs available to persons within the United States, and

 9  unfairly deprive such persons of reasonable opportunity to

10  purchase prescription drugs at the lowest price possible, NOW,

11  THEREFORE,

12  

13  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

14  

15         That the Congress of the United States is respectfully

16  requested to enact legislation repealing all laws prohibiting

17  importation of large quantities of prescription drugs for

18  resale in the United States in order to make such drugs

19  available to the persons within the United States at a cost

20  competitive with the costs incurred by the residents of

21  England, Italy, Germany, and France.

22         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be

23  delivered to the President of the United States, to the

24  President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the

25  United States House of Representatives, and to each member of

26  the Florida delegation to the Congress of the United States.

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28  

29  

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31  

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.