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Empty Promises: The Reality of Prescription Drug Importation For Maryland

By Nina Owcharenko
Published on Wednesday, March 01, 2006
MARYLAND POLICY REPORT

Policymakers in Maryland are jumping on the bandwagon in support of prescription drug importation. Recently introduced legislation would have Maryland follow other state efforts to import prescription drugs from Canada.[1] However, such policy recommendations are full of empty promises. First, the safety and economic consequences of drug importation are clearly legitimate reasons for concern. Second, federal and state efforts to prevent drug importation have all but failed. Maryland policymakers should take heed, recognizing that the prescription drug importation is a backdoor effort to import price controls and a slippery slope towards a Canadian-style health care system.

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