HARD BILL FOR DRUGMAKERS TO SWALLOW? MEASURE WOULD FACILITATE CANADIAN PILL PURCHASES.

Byline: Harrison Sheppard Sacramento Bureau

SACRAMENTO - In what is likely to touch off a fierce battle with the drug industry and the federal government, state legislators Thursday introduced measures to make it easier for Californians to buy cheaper prescription drugs from Canada.

A bill by Assemblyman Dario Frommer, D-Glendale, that is part of a larger package of prescription-drug related measures, would direct the state to create a Web site that consumers could use to compare prices and find names of reputable drug suppliers in Canada.

It would also direct state agencies that currently purchase drugs to pool their efforts for greater price leverage and to study importing their own drug purchases from Canada.

The federal government and the pharmaceutical industry both oppose measures to bring in medicines from Canada because of safety concerns. The federal government bans the practice of individuals importing drugs from abroad, although it rarely enforces the law against those who buy small quantifies from Canada for personal use, Frommer said.

``Although we as American taxpayers fund two-thirds of the research and development that's going on in the drug industry, the fact is that many of us simply cannot afford to buy those new drugs when we're sick,'' Frommer said. ``It's little wonder that many Americans are now turning to Canada to buy their prescription drugs.''

Brand-name drugs sold in Canada can be up to 88 percent cheaper than in the United States, according to research by Frommer's office.

The politically influential pharmaceutical industry argues it is difficult to guarantee the safety of drugs purchased over the Internet from sites that claim to be based in Canada. The practice leaves consumers vulnerable to counterfeiting and inferior products made in other countries, the industry argues.

``There's a big risk,'' said Merrill Jacobs, deputy vice president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. ``The problem with the Canadian system is not the drugs that come from legitimate Canadian sources, but drugs that are shipped from Iran (for example) to Canadian wholesalers.''

Drugs in Canada are cheaper in part because of the favorable exchange rate, he said, and in part because of Canada's system of price controls.

Some drug companies have threatened Canadian pharmacies with cutting off their supplies if they sell to Americans.

Supporters of importation from Canada argue the drug companies oppose it because they make larger profits in the United States, even as some of their research is funded by American taxpayers.

Frommer said the point of his bill is to establish ways to verify the safety of suppliers, by only recommending those that are properly certified by Canadian authorities.

According to research by his office, a supply of the allergy medication Allegra, for example, that costs $40.22 in Canada would cost $73.99 in the United States; a supply of the cholesterol drug Lipitor costs $206.16 in Canada and $275.97 in the United States.

The package introduced Thursday also includes a bill by Assemblywoman Wilma Chan, D-Oakland, to allow physicians to stop drug companies from buying their prescription data from pharmacies. Another measure, from Assemblyman Mark Ridley-Thomas, D-Los Angeles, asks the federal government to certify that importation of drugs from Canada is safe.

Harrison Sheppard, [phone]

harrison.sheppard(at)dailynews.com