Washington State Launches Web Site To Help Residents Purchase Prescription Drugs from Canada

Washington Gov. Gary Locke (D) on Tuesday announced that the state has launched a Web site to help residents purchase lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada, the AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. The Web site, www.rx.wa.gov, includes background information on prescription drug reimportation and warnings about potential safety and legal concerns. In addition, the Web site includes a link to a Wisconsin site that provides links to three Canadian pharmacies. Minnesota and Wisconsin officials have inspected the three pharmacies and consider them "safe, reputable and reliable," according to Locke. State officials also plan to establish by Dec. 1 a retail price comparison service that lists U.S. and Canadian prices for the 25 most commonly used prescription drugs. Clifford Webster of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said that the group does not object to the Washington Web site, adding that the state has "essentially done a gigantic Google search for consumers -- something they can already do" (Ammons, AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 10/27).