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American Morning

Talk With Patricia Kaufman

Aired January 22, 2003 - 08:17   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Health news today now. Americans spend about a billion dollars every year on pharmaceuticals in Canada. The reason there, many common drugs like the diabetic drug Avandia much cheaper in Canada. Now the maker of that drug and other popular drugs like Paxol and Fluonase, GlaxoSmithKline, says it will no longer sell to Canadian companies and pharmacies that in turn sell to Americans.
That could be some trouble, too, for folks like Patricia Kaufman. She's a retiree who buys many of her drugs from a Canadian Web site.

She joins us live this morning in San Diego.

And as we say good morning to you, Patricia, we want to let our viewers know we did ask GlaxoSmithKline to come join us. Representatives, though, declined our invitation this morning.

Good morning to you, Patricia.

PATRICIA KAUFMAN, BUYS DRUGS FROM CANADA: Good morning, sir.

HEMMER: I want to give our viewers an idea on the drug Avandia that you buy online. For a three month supply, it costs you about $187 a month.

KAUFMAN: That is correct.

HEMMER: If you were to purchase the same amount in the U.S., what's your cost difference?

KAUFMAN: Ninety dollars a month.

HEMMER: So you save $90 on this drug alone, right?

KAUFMAN: That's correct.

HEMMER: And you buy at least two other drugs online from Canada?

KAUFMAN: Two other drugs, over $100 a month, that I was spending $345 a month for. Now for what I pay for one three months, I'm getting one month's supply.

HEMMER: So you're saving a considerable amount of money.

KAUFMAN: I am.

HEMMER: The company says it's illegal, what you're doing. What is your position? KAUFMAN: I'm just purchasing. I'm a buyer and I'm a firm believer in salvation. And this is what I have to do to survive.

HEMMER: Yes. Do you think you're breaking the law or not?

KAUFMAN: No. I'm not purchasing their products. If I were, then it would be breaking the law.

HEMMER: Listen to what the company said, in part. I'll read a statement for you and our viewers here. And quoting now, "In the interests of patients and their safety, GlaxoSmithKline will not supply prescription drugs to Canadian wholesalers and pharmacies that export medicines outside of Canada. GSK understands the concerns of Americans," like yourself, Patricia, "without prescription drug coverage, but believes that ordering medicine over the Internet from Canada or other countries is not the answer and it puts patients at risk."

That last line there, putting patients at risk, what have you done to ensure that your medicine is, indeed, safe, as opposed to what the company says, that it may not...

KAUFMAN: I took my medications, those three in particular, to my pharmacist. He's been my pharmacist for 15 years. He didn't see any reason why I couldn't take them. My friend's son is a chemist for Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, who could analyze them if it would be necessary.

HEMMER: I want to get your perspective on this. Given your knowledge and given your involvement, the company's saying the most immediate step to ensure access to medicines is for Congress to enact a Medicare prescription drug benefit. You come down where on that side of the argument?

KAUFMAN: Well, sure, Congress can enact, but we're still going to have, be responsible. We're still going to pay for it one way or the other. Where is the money going to come from?

HEMMER: A good question.

KAUFMAN: Yes.

HEMMER: I wish we had answer today.

But you're saving well over 300 bucks a month.

KAUFMAN: That's right.

HEMMER: Patricia Kaufman, joining us from San Diego...

KAUFMAN: And...

HEMMER: Go ahead.

KAUFMAN: And I have a friend, a senior friend that died because she couldn't afford her $150 a month diabetic drug. Only three weeks of the month could she take it. Well, she eventually lost her leg and she died. Now, that had some contribution to her dying. You have to take it every day if you're a diabetic.

HEMMER: Yes, a clear example of the help you're getting and others...

KAUFMAN: Also, we're not getting -- yes -- a break. Those of us taking chronic, that have chronic conditions taking drugs every month. I've been taking drugs for diabetes 20 years. I'm 70. It might be 20 more. But we don't get any break at all.

HEMMER: Yes.

Hey, listen, good luck to you in your health, OK, Patricia?

KAUFMAN: Hey, thank you, sir.

HEMMER: Patricia Kaufman in San Diego.

KAUFMAN: Yes.

HEMMER: Enjoy the Super Bowl this weekend, too, all right?

KAUFMAN: I will.

HEMMER: OK.

KAUFMAN: And you have a good day.

HEMMER: Thank you. You the same.

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 January 22, 2003 - 08:17   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Health news today now. Americans spend about a billion dollars every year on pharmaceuticals in Canada. The reason there, many common drugs like the diabetic drug Avandia much cheaper in Canada. Now the maker of that drug and other popular drugs like Paxol and Fluonase, GlaxoSmithKline, says it will no longer sell to Canadian companies and pharmacies that in turn sell to Americans.
That could be some trouble, too, for folks like Patricia Kaufman. She's a retiree who buys many of her drugs from a Canadian Web site.

She joins us live this morning in San Diego.

And as we say good morning to you, Patricia, we want to let our viewers know we did ask GlaxoSmithKline to come join us. Representatives, though, declined our invitation this morning.

Good morning to you, Patricia.

PATRICIA KAUFMAN, BUYS DRUGS FROM CANADA: Good morning, sir.

HEMMER: I want to give our viewers an idea on the drug Avandia that you buy online. For a three month supply, it costs you about $187 a month.

KAUFMAN: That is correct.

HEMMER: If you were to purchase the same amount in the U.S., what's your cost difference?

KAUFMAN: Ninety dollars a month.

HEMMER: So you save $90 on this drug alone, right?

KAUFMAN: That's correct.

HEMMER: And you buy at least two other drugs online from Canada?

KAUFMAN: Two other drugs, over $100 a month, that I was spending $345 a month for. Now for what I pay for one three months, I'm getting one month's supply.

HEMMER: So you're saving a considerable amount of money.

KAUFMAN: I am.

HEMMER: The company says it's illegal, what you're doing. What is your position? KAUFMAN: I'm just purchasing. I'm a buyer and I'm a firm believer in salvation. And this is what I have to do to survive.

HEMMER: Yes. Do you think you're breaking the law or not?

KAUFMAN: No. I'm not purchasing their products. If I were, then it would be breaking the law.

HEMMER: Listen to what the company said, in part. I'll read a statement for you and our viewers here. And quoting now, "In the interests of patients and their safety, GlaxoSmithKline will not supply prescription drugs to Canadian wholesalers and pharmacies that export medicines outside of Canada. GSK understands the concerns of Americans," like yourself, Patricia, "without prescription drug coverage, but believes that ordering medicine over the Internet from Canada or other countries is not the answer and it puts patients at risk."

That last line there, putting patients at risk, what have you done to ensure that your medicine is, indeed, safe, as opposed to what the company says, that it may not...

KAUFMAN: I took my medications, those three in particular, to my pharmacist. He's been my pharmacist for 15 years. He didn't see any reason why I couldn't take them. My friend's son is a chemist for Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, who could analyze them if it would be necessary.

HEMMER: I want to get your perspective on this. Given your knowledge and given your involvement, the company's saying the most immediate step to ensure access to medicines is for Congress to enact a Medicare prescription drug benefit. You come down where on that side of the argument?

KAUFMAN: Well, sure, Congress can enact, but we're still going to have, be responsible. We're still going to pay for it one way or the other. Where is the money going to come from?

HEMMER: A good question.

KAUFMAN: Yes.

HEMMER: I wish we had answer today.

But you're saving well over 300 bucks a month.

KAUFMAN: That's right.

HEMMER: Patricia Kaufman, joining us from San Diego...

KAUFMAN: And...

HEMMER: Go ahead.

KAUFMAN: And I have a friend, a senior friend that died because she couldn't afford her $150 a month diabetic drug. Only three weeks of the month could she take it. Well, she eventually lost her leg and she died. Now, that had some contribution to her dying. You have to take it every day if you're a diabetic.

HEMMER: Yes, a clear example of the help you're getting and others...

KAUFMAN: Also, we're not getting -- yes -- a break. Those of us taking chronic, that have chronic conditions taking drugs every month. I've been taking drugs for diabetes 20 years. I'm 70. It might be 20 more. But we don't get any break at all.

HEMMER: Yes.

Hey, listen, good luck to you in your health, OK, Patricia?

KAUFMAN: Hey, thank you, sir.

HEMMER: Patricia Kaufman in San Diego.

KAUFMAN: Yes.

HEMMER: Enjoy the Super Bowl this weekend, too, all right?

KAUFMAN: I will.

HEMMER: OK.

KAUFMAN: And you have a good day.

HEMMER: Thank you. You the same.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com