Posted by
Frigglesnitz on Thursday, January 17, 2008 8:35:27 PM
I have made numerous comments to the link below which represents the 1/11/08 column by Timothy Lee, "McCain to pharmaceutical innovators: drop dead."
My last comment was too lengthy and would not fit in the "comments" space; however, I felt it important enough to turn the comment into a blog. It follows the link.
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/TimothyLee/2008/01/11/
mccain_to_pharmaceutical_innovators_drop_dead?page=
full&comments=true
The beginning paragraph responds directly to "hob"; however, the entire comment/blog is addressed to both the author and to "hob" -- and, of course, to anyone else interested in the drug industry.
Not only do I want to see a pedigree: I want to see the country of origin of everything that goes into medication I take, and I don't care if the box or bottle has to be cannister size in order to bear all the printing.
I want to know if a drug manufactured in England has an ingredient whose origin is China. I want to know if a drug manufactured in Germany has an ingredient whose origin is China. I want to know if a drug -- any drug -- has any ingredient whose origin differs from the country of "manufacture."
I want to see on a bottle or box not only the U.S. distributor (which is nice to know, of course), but I want to see all the countries of origin of every ingredient made anywhere in the world going into that drug.
Then, and only then, can American consumers be informed as to the real origins of the drugs they consume by the billions daily. And they can take it on their own advisement as to whether to consume the stuff.
Lord knows we're paying enough for them.
And I want to know just why it is that the FDA has to have a "Partnership with China." Granted, China is a buzzword of some import these days -- and well earned.
However, my contention is that American people (through HHS or FDA or any other American Commission or Department) should not, repeat, should not, bear the costs for these checks and re-checks and re-re-checks to make sure that these Chinese ingredients or, indeed, the entire Chinese makeup of a drug, are safe for consumption by Americans. However, guess what? Guess who's going to pick up the tab for that "Partnership." Need three guesses?
Some time in the past I ordered a particularly expensive drug from Canada, manufactured in Canada, and when I began purchasing it here, at even greater cost, there was absolutely no difference in outcome. In Canada, incidentally, it was a generic. I am completely aware that generics from Canada usually are more expensive than generics here; however, the good old U.S.A. did not allow it to be made as a generic. Patents last forever and a day here. Result: a less expensive drug from Canada.
I trust Canada; I do not trust China. Can you tell? I do believe I have reason.
And I am still of the opinion that Mr. Timothy Lee has a great deal to learn about this industry. It has many tentacles, reaching way, way into our government and, coincidentally, into our almost-empty pockets.
As mentioned in an earlier comment, this is not a plug for McCain; rather it is a slug at the pharmaceutical industry doing business in the U.S.A. And by the way, how many of those companies doing business here actually are American companies? Anybody know? Is it one of those unknowables?