West Virginia Governor Asks Drug Makers To Give State Residents Same Prices as Charged in Canada

West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise (D) on Oct. 7 mailed letters to drug makers Merck, GlaxoSmithKline and other companies requesting that they offer West Virginians the same medication prices charged in Canada, the Charleston Daily Mail reports. Wise said, "Residents of other countries pay much lower prices. We want West Virginians to pay the same price as the people in Canada." According to Wise, the arthritis treatment Celebrex costs between $78.00 and $93.09 a month at local pharmacies, while the drug costs $46 per month in Canada. Wise called on pharmaceutical companies to make a "good faith effort" in negotiating drug discounts associated with the Golden Mountaineer Card, the state's drug discount card for seniors. Wise also said the drug companies should be receptive to the multi-state effort to negotiate lower drug prices that begins next month. He added, "As of today, I am putting you and your colleagues on notice that the tactics being employed or being contemplated by the industry you represent are unacceptable to me and to the citizens of the state of West Virginia. I believe that most other governors agree with me, and I am prepared to enlist their support" (Smith Cox, Charleston Daily Mail, 10/7).