Editorial: Less expensive drugs?

Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2004 | 8:43 a.m.

Nevada is part of a pool of seven states that have leveraged their purchasing power so they can get larger discounts when buying prescription drugs for their Medicaid programs, which provide medical care and drugs for the needy. Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, says that the pool is saving 19 percent on its purchases, an amount that can add up. The director of the Nevada Medicaid program says there are about 2 million people enrolled in these programs in the seven states, with roughly $3 billion worth of drugs being bought.

While this is a good start, we're encouraged that Buckley is pushing forward with her bill that would enable all Nevadans to buy drugs directly from Canada, where prices are much lower. Five other states currently are buying from Canada, and Buckley said the cost savings could be 50 percent to 80 percent on brand name drugs. The Food and Drug Administration is opposed to these state plans but so far hasn't taken disciplinary action against them. The executive director of the state Pharmacy Board said drugs certified by the Health Canada agency are the same quality as those licensed in the United States. Ideally, the federal government would be working to bring down drug costs for all Americans, but since it isn't it will be up to the states to take charge and explore measures that could bring some sanity to the out-of-control prices we now pay.