Plan will save Michigan consumers up to 50 percent on drug costs
Joel Sheltrown today announced his strong support of soon to be introduced legislation to save Michigan residents up to 50 percent on prescription drugs. The savings would be realized through a multi-state compact allowing for the reimportation of drugs from Canada.
"Too many Michiganders find themselves crossing our bridges to Canada for less costly prescriptions or taking other extreme measures because the big pharmaceutical companies are squeezing every dollar of profit they can from our most vulnerable citizens," Sheltrown said. "This has to stop."
Citing the spiraling costs of prescription drugs and the impact on northern Michigan consumers and jobs, Sheltrown says he will strongly support legislation soon to be introduced by House Democrats which would allow Michigan to join the I-Save-Rx program.
The program, run by Illinois and joined already by Wisconsin, Missouri, Vermont and Kansas, allows the state to contract with a Canadian clearinghouse that connects consumers with Canadian, European and Australian pharmacies and wholesalers approved by Illinois health inspectors. Consumers can buy about 150 brand-name prescription drugs from those pharmacies, and can expect to pay 25 to 50 percent less than the drug's cost in the U.S.
There is no cost to the state to join I-Save-Rx. The cost of administering the program is paid for by a nominal fee charged to consumers. For safety reasons, the program is limited to prescription refills on brand-name drugs that treat chronic or long-term conditions. All residents would be eligible to participate.
"Ultimately, Michigan needs a bulk-buying program that uses the power of numbers to counteract the drug industry's squeezing of American consumers," Sheltrown said. "I-Save-Rx is another tool in the fight to provide our residents with affordable prescription drugs."