Let states import drugs; Washington should stop protecting drug manufacturers., The Des Moines Register - December 30, 2003
The federal government is failing Americans who want to import cheaper drugs from Canada. Washington lawmakers recently passed Medicare legislation that didn't allow drugs to be imported. Instead they left discretion to the Food and Drug Administration with its clear record of opposing importation.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AN EFFECTIVE BAND-AID: Illinois' plan to import drugs from Canada is smart and courageous., Post-Dispatch - 11/24/2003
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's call for high quality, low-cost prescriptions for Illinois employees and retirees reflects fiscal responsibility and political courage. The Post-Dispatch editorialized that his approach - buying prescription drugs for them in Canada - is illegal and a "Band-Aid." Yet the governor is supporting policy already approved by Congress.

A Plan to Import Drugs Safely, New York Times - November 1, 2003
The state of Illinois has effectively skewered contentions by the federal Food and Drug Administration that it would be risky to import prescription drugs from Canada to save substantial sums of money. Indeed, an expert panel that visited Canada on behalf of the state has fashioned a plan that should actually make it safer for state employees to purchase drugs from Canada than in this country.

Let Americans buy less costly drugs, Daily Southtown - October 29, 2003
American consumers pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. Meanwhile, Canadian citizens pay anywhere from 30 to 50 percent less for their prescriptions.

Drug plan catches on, The Burlington Free Press - October 27, 2003
U.S. Rep. Bernie Sanders has ignited a political firestorm with his proposal to allow Americans to import prescription drugs from Canada. Once thought doomed because of the incredible financial clout of the pharmaceutical industry, Sanders' plan has caught the imagination of much of the country.

Americans shouldn't have to pay more for medicine , Sun-Times - October 27, 2003
'We'd love to let you save money on your medicines, but it could be dangerous." If the argument against the re-importation of prescription drugs from Canada has a familiar ring, it should. We heard it all before, just over 20 years ago, when the Food and Drug Administration dragged a case involving federal approval of generic drugs all the way to the Supreme Court.

Governor needs help in fight to lower drug costs, Pantagraph - October 21, 2003
Gov. Rod Blagojevich should be applauded for his tenacity in fighting for reasonable prices on prescription drugs.

The Safety of Imported Drugs, The New York Times - September 20, 2003
The allure of importing cheap prescription drugs from Canada and other advanced nations is proving irresistible, despite federal laws against it and stern warnings from the Food and Drug Administration that imported drugs may not be safe.

State should join drug price revolt;, San Jose Mercury News - September 21, 2003
It's time for California to join Illinois' revolt against the Food and Drug Administration's outdated policy banning imported prescription drugs.

Illinois raises stakes in drug import fight , The Dallas Morning News - September 20, 2003
A drug that is used to protect women against breast cancer, tamoxifen, is available in Canada for a tenth of its cost in the United States. And that's just one of many drugs that are cheaper over the border. Eyeing those savings, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said this week that his state employees should be allowed to buy their prescription drugs from abroad. He makes a good point.

Look seriously at drug import plan, Daily Herald-editorial
Should Illinois be allowed to import prescription drugs from Canada at cheaper Canadian prices? It sounds good. Maybe too good. But it definitely is worth investigating.