07 July 2004

Stop Scaring Florida's Seniors

Florida's many seniors who have turned to ordering drugs from Canada need to be aware of three things: 1. If a spokesman says something often enough, even if it's not true, many people will think it's true.

Example: Last week, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Health warned about buying drugs from foreign countries or over the Internet.

"It is the equivalent of selling drugs out of the trunk of a car," she said. "If you're utilizing services of an unlicensed practitioner, you don't have anybody you can turn to, nobody in your court, no assurance, no monitoring and no recourse . . . if something goes wrong."

This is but the latest in a string of warnings from agencies ranging from the federal Food and Drug Administration to state officials.

While dealings with unknown companies in foreign countries has been demonstrated to result in questionable drug quality, none of the dealings with registered Canadian companies were found wanting in an analysis last year by the Congressional Research Service, an arm of the Library of Congress.

That analysis was reaffirmed recently by a report from the General Accounting Office, the independent research arm of Congress. Ninety orders for 13 common drugs -- with and without a prescription -- from Web sites in the United States, Canada and 10 other countries.

Internet pharmacies in Canada, the report concluded, supplied drugs that were safe and reliable as those in the United States.

Summing up: Not all Internet pharmacies are safe or honest. But those in Canada have done well under scrutiny by government agencies here. In addition, they must be approved by that country's health agency, just like those in the United States must be approved by the FDA.

2. If enough Floridians are outraged, state government might listen.

Example: Last month, Florida regulators said storefronts in the state filling orders for Canadian pharmacies were unlicensed pharmacies and would be closed. Last week, after citizens protested, state officials said they would assist the businesses in obtaining licenses in Florida.

Some storefront merchants wonder if there will be a catch: Once licensed, will the state then try to say the storefronts are in violation of their licenses for dealing in drugs not approved by the FDA?

For many Floridians, it doesn't matter what the state does. There are a lot of seniors such as George Troester, 68, of Fort Myers, who told The News-Press of Fort Myers that he'd never been in a storefront. He uses a toll-free number, credit card and order form to go directly to the pharmacy in Canada, saving $1,500 in each of the past three years.

Troester said the pharmacy requires an actual prescription "and I agree with that. The only thing I don't agree with is the high prices in this country."

3. Instead of attempting to scare Florida's seniors from ordering drugs from Canada, it would be helpful if state officials listed ways to make sure the pharmacy where the order will be placed is a reputable one.

Example:

Ask acquaintances who have had experience with dealing with Canadian pharmacies.

Check the Web site to see if the pharmacy has a physical address in Canada, and in which province it is located.

Obtain the number of the Provincial Pharmacy License, then check with the Provincial Regulatory Authority to confirm. Contact telephone numbers are available on the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities' Web site (www.napra.org).

The pharmacy should require a valid prescription from a local doctor. Some may require the prescription also be faxed from the doctor's office.

Toll-free telephone numbers can be helpful, particularly if questions need to be asked about prices or drug interactions.

Summing up: The best view comes from David MacKay, executive director of the Canadian International Pharmacy Association in Winnipeg. Last month, when the GAO report confirmed the safety of Canadian pharmacies and drugs, MacKay said, "The argument should never have been, `Are drugs from Canada safe?' It should be, `How do you get Canadian drugs safely into the hands of American patients?'

Lakeland Ledger

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