Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Cheaper Drugs
Aired December 22, 2003 - 14:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Illinois wants to go north of the border for some drugs. Like Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Illinois officials believe their citizens can save millions of dollars by buying prescription drugs from Canada. And they're asking the federal government for permission.
Our Chicago bureau chief Jeff Flock is on the case -- Jeff.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, hello to you.
Indeed, Rod Blagojevich, Illinois' governor the just sent this letter this morning to Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson asking for a special waiver on the subject of prescription drugs. What the governor of Illinois wants to do is set up a pilot program whereby Illinois taxpayers, starting with state workers, could go north and buy those drugs in Canada. He said they would save millions. The governor of Illinois, making a special appeal to Secretary Thompson, who was himself governor of Wisconsin and noted for being an innovator and welfare reform. Governor Blagojevich, and I talked to him this morning in his office, says it would be only fair to do the same here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH, ILLINOIS: Let us be able to trade with our No. 1 trading partner, Canada, our neighbor to the north, and let American consumers, and senior citizens and taxpayers be able to buy the same medicine made by the same company at half the price if they go to Canada, and if we allow this, prices will come down across America, and this artificial price structure that benefits the big pharmaceutical companies will go away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLOCK: CNN medical in Washington just spoke with the FDA, Kyra, and they say they're still concerned about the safety of Canadian drugs. The FDA saying it cannot confirm the safety of Canadian drugs that don't come tip. It doesn't come through the U.S. system. At the same time, they said they're glad that Governor Blagojevich seems to want to work within the system, as opposed to New Hampshire and Massachusetts, where they're apparently going it alone, and defying federal law and implementing their own programs without government approval -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Jeff Flock, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 22, 2003 - 14:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Illinois wants to go north of the border for some drugs. Like Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Illinois officials believe their citizens can save millions of dollars by buying prescription drugs from Canada. And they're asking the federal government for permission.
Our Chicago bureau chief Jeff Flock is on the case -- Jeff.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, hello to you.
Indeed, Rod Blagojevich, Illinois' governor the just sent this letter this morning to Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson asking for a special waiver on the subject of prescription drugs. What the governor of Illinois wants to do is set up a pilot program whereby Illinois taxpayers, starting with state workers, could go north and buy those drugs in Canada. He said they would save millions. The governor of Illinois, making a special appeal to Secretary Thompson, who was himself governor of Wisconsin and noted for being an innovator and welfare reform. Governor Blagojevich, and I talked to him this morning in his office, says it would be only fair to do the same here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH, ILLINOIS: Let us be able to trade with our No. 1 trading partner, Canada, our neighbor to the north, and let American consumers, and senior citizens and taxpayers be able to buy the same medicine made by the same company at half the price if they go to Canada, and if we allow this, prices will come down across America, and this artificial price structure that benefits the big pharmaceutical companies will go away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLOCK: CNN medical in Washington just spoke with the FDA, Kyra, and they say they're still concerned about the safety of Canadian drugs. The FDA saying it cannot confirm the safety of Canadian drugs that don't come tip. It doesn't come through the U.S. system. At the same time, they said they're glad that Governor Blagojevich seems to want to work within the system, as opposed to New Hampshire and Massachusetts, where they're apparently going it alone, and defying federal law and implementing their own programs without government approval -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Jeff Flock, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
