Illinois to Seek Drugs in Canada

Hoping to save money on prescription drugs, Gov. Rod Blagojevich asked for federal permission Monday to set up a pilot program that would import medications from Canada.

Blagojevich said the Medicare reform law gave the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services authority to waive the rules against bringing in drugs from outside the country to set up a pilot program. He sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson asking for a decision on the waiver within 30 days.

The Democratic governor proposed several safeguards to help alleviate worries about the quality of drugs bought in other countries. The state would develop a list of drugs, all approved by the Food and Drug Administration, that could be imported. All prescriptions would be filled by an Illinois pharmacist first, and only refills could be imported. The program would be voluntary for Illinois’ 230,000 state employees and retirees.

“All we’re asking for is an opportunity to try something new,” Blagojevich said, adding that the state might sue if the waiver was not granted.

Drug costs have become a major burden for states. Illinois spent $340 million on prescription drugs just for its employees and retirees last fiscal year, a 15% rise from the previous year.

New Hampshire and Boston have announced plans to buy prescription drugs from Canada as a way to cut costs, and Springfield, Mass., is already allowing its employees to do so, a move that defies federal restrictions.

But Blagojevich, while continuing to push to overturn the federal ban on importing lower-priced drugs from Canada, has said he would not break the law.

A Health and Human Services spokesman said that in the past, the department had authority to grant waivers if the drugs were safe, but Thompson and former Secretary Donna E. Shalala concluded that they could make no guarantees.

Blagojevich also said that he and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty have set a prescription drug summit for governors on Feb. 24 in Washington, D.C.