Retirement News : Seniors : Senior Poll: 'Wait Just a Minute' on Prescription Drug Importation

Senior Poll: 'Wait Just a Minute' on Prescription Drug Importation

Date Added: 10-03-2005

While Senators and Congressmen rushing to establish importation legislation -- promising seniors significant price cuts -- seniors are becoming increasingly concerned with the safety of importing prescription drugs from foreign sources.

After receiving a significant number of calls from seniors across America, The Seniors Coalition (TSC) retained The Luntz Research Companies to conduct a study to measure public opinion on the issue of importation among America's seniors. The results were staggering.

"When I saw the results, it was plainly clear to me that senior citizens have been misled about the provisions of currently proposed importation legislation," said Flora "Grandma" Green, National spokeswoman for TSC. "Not only does the research show a broad-reaching, deep concern for their safety, but it also indicates that, when given the full rundown on these proposals, seniors do not approve of open drug importation."

AARP -- among other organizations -- and political proponents of importation have, in an effort to reassure seniors of drug safety, consistently suggested to seniors that imported prescription drugs will come from Canada. What they are not telling seniors is that Canada has repeatedly commented that it would not participate in an importation program with the United States (citing the need to maintain efficient drug supplies to meet the demands of its own citizens).

So where are these drugs going to come from if not from Canada? Current importation proposals (submitted by Senators Dorgan and Vitter) focus their proposals on a wide-reaching importation program with overseas suppliers -- Australia, New Zealand, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Greece, and other members of the European Union.

The results of our research are clear. When asked of their approval or opposition to prescription drug importation from foreign sources outside Canada, 70 percent of America's seniors oppose the practice (56 percent strongly oppose it).

"The issue here is not whether Americans want cheaper prescription drugs - heaven knows we all want the things we buy to come with a cheaper price tag," Green said. "The issue is whether or not seniors are willing to allow Congress to jeopardize their safety to help them save a buck on prescription drugs; and our research shows that seniors are not yet willing to trade their assurance of safety for a few dollars at the check-out stand."

TSC has scheduled a press conference on Thursday, March 10, at 2 p.m. to be held in room SC6 of the United States Capitol Building to release the complete report of findings from this study

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The Seniors Coalition is the nation's fastest growing free- market senior advocacy organization with a membership of more than 4 million seniors. TSC is a non-partisan, non-profit 501c(4) organization.

For More Information . . . http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=44081