Canadian drugs: panacea or problem?Although at least 22 legislatures looked at more than 45 bills this session both for and against importation of prescription drugs, only one state and the District of Columbia District of Columbia, federal district (2000 pop. 572,059, a 5.7% decrease in population since the 1990 census), 69 sq mi (179 sq km), on the east bank of the Potomac River, coextensive with the city of Washington, D.C. (the capital of the United States). has passed legislation as of early May. West Virginia and the District of Columbia passed legislation in March to investigate the feasibility of purchasing prescription drugs from outside the country. A bill in Maryland that would have sought a waiver to "operate a program to purchase and import prescription drugs from Canada" passed both houses, but was killed in a procedural move at the end of the session. Despite federal warnings, the governors of Minnesota The following is a list of Governors of the State of Minnesota and Minnesota Territory. The governor serves as head of the executive branch of the state's government and is charged with ensuring the faithful execution of the state's laws. , New Hampshire New Hampshire, one of the New England states of the NE United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts (S), Vermont, with the Connecticut R. forming the boundary (W), the Canadian province of Quebec (NW), and Maine and a short strip of the Atlantic Ocean (E). , North Dakota and Wisconsin have created Web sites that direct residents to specific Canadian pharmacies where they can buy relatively cheap prescription drugs online. None of the four states is making any direct drug purchases. Transactions are between individual citizens and the pharmacies. The states have taken the role of inspecting the pharmacies, providing the information and, in a few cases, negotiating lower prices. The Wisconsin Senate weighed in with a non-binding resolution to Congress urging legalization LEGALIZATION. The act of making lawful. 2. By legalization, is also understood the act by which a judge or competent officer authenticates a record, or other matter, in order that the same may be lawfully read in evidence. Vide Authentication. of imports, but has not acted on the governor's project. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. ) warns that imported drugs could be tainted or counterfeit. Despite those cautions, the FDA has yet to take any enforcement action against Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Wisconsin or cities in Massachusetts This is a complete list of cities in Massachusetts. There are fifty cities in Massachusetts. Many towns, most notably Framingham, Brookline and Plymouth, are as large as cities, but are not incorporated as cities. and Alabama that are importing drugs from Canada. FDA official William Hubbard said that people should be aware of possible safety problems with foreign drugs and that some Wisconsinites might actually end up paying more for Canadian drugs. Hubbard said Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle's endorsement of buying drugs from Canada "undermines one of our nation's key consumer protection statutes and places [his] constituents at unnecessary risk of harm from unregulated pharmaceuticals." Congress has in recent years passed legislation allowing drugs to be imported from Canada if the secretary of Health and Human Services Noun 1. Secretary of Health and Human Services - the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Health and Human Services; "the first Secretary of Health and Human Services was Patricia Roberts Harris who was appointed by Carter" can certify they are safe, but the department has not yet made such a designation. The department has created a task force to study whether the United States could create a system to ensure the safety of imported drugs. Health and Human Services Noun 1. Health and Human Services - the United States federal department that administers all federal programs dealing with health and welfare; created in 1979 Department of Health and Human Services, HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson hopes to receive a report from the task force by July. |
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