Northern exposure: Bill to legalize Canadian drugs is a sensible safety measure

HoustonChronicle.com - Northern exposure: Bill to legalize Canadian drugs is a sensible safety measure: "Despite a federal ban, Texans are among an estimated 1 million Americans who annually order pharmaceuticals from Canadian sources via mail and the Internet. With brand name drugs available in Canada at up to 75 percent less than in the United States, elderly patients living on fixed incomes and trying to stretch their health dollars are looking north of the border, where government controls result in the low prices.

Houston state Rep. Scott Hochberg's bill, modeled on statutes in effect in nine other states, simply recognizes the status quo.

It seeks to make the prescription drug trade safer by designating state-inspected pharmacies in Canada as reliable venders and providing a Web site with product and price information for Texas consumers.

Hochberg used a legislative end run to pop his bill out of committee, where it had been bottled up."