(Washington, D.C.)–At a press conference at the United States Capitol today, Congressman Jim Langevin was joined by several House and Senate colleagues and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Vice President Dr. Peter Rost to refute charges that prescription drugs reimported from Canada are unsafe.  The members and Dr. Rost called for passage of legislation pending in the Senate that would legalize an affordable means to obtain often costly medications. 

 Dr. Rost is the first executive from a major drug company to come forward and speak out against the drug industry’s effort against reimportation of prescription drugs from foreign nations.

“From Washington to Rhode Island, public officials are committed to finding innovative ways to lower prescription drug costs,” Langevin said at today’s press conference.  "No Americans have died or been seriously injured from taking imported pharmaceuticals, and we can ensure that this record of safety continues.  Reimportation is one of the most important ways the United States can help lower medication prices for our citizens, and it can be done in a safe and secure manner.”

 In July, Langevin voted for the Pharmaceutical Market Access Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 243 to 186.  This reimportation measure would allow Americans to purchase medications from 25 other industrialized nations.  The legislation is now awaiting consideration by the U.S. Senate.

“American taxpayers subsidize research that leads to life-saving medications, which are subsequently sold to them at inflated prices -- up to 300 percent higher than the same medications are sold to seniors in Canada or Europe,” added Langevin  "This is an injustice to our seniors.  Allowing reimportation of safe prescription drugs would mean lower prices for Americans.”

Langevin and Dr. Rost were joined by Senator Bryon Dorgan (D-ND) and Representatives Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Gil Gutknecht (R-MN), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Dan Burton (R-IN), Anne Northup (R-KY),  Rosa DeLauro (D-CT),  Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) and Marion Berry (D-AR).

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