ANOTHER DRUG WAR RAGING

Everybody wins except the U.S. consumer

The U.S. government has spent billions on "The War on Drugs." The
commendable goal of this "war" was to reduce the use and sale of "illegal"
(mostly addictive) drugs in the United States. However, another type of "War
on Drugs" is taking place that is being conducted by the pharmaceutical
companies and appears to be supported by the government. The Federal Drug
Administration has apparently changed its purpose from assuring the quality
and integrity of "legal" drugs sold in the United States to assisting
pharmaceutical companies to compete against the "illegal" drug suppliers.

First, the FDA began allowing pharmaceutical companies to advertise their
legal controlled prescription drugs directly to the public. The drug
companies are now allowed to include these additional (advertising) costs as
part of the costs they recoup in establishing their drug prices. And boy,
are the pharmaceutical companies spending and charging! The drug companies
are advertising to increase the demand for their legal drugs, many of which
are just as addictive as the illegal drugs.

Second, the laws that allowed generic drugs to enter the U.S. market seven
years after a patent had been issued are not in serious danger of not being
extended or eliminated. The drug companies, through their lobbyists, have
claimed they need more time to recoup all of their R&D costs, which now
include advertising costs. Permitting generic drugs to be sold to the U.S.
public has allowed true free market competition to drive down the previously
highly inflated drug prices protected under patent regulations. Now our
government appears to be allowing the drug companies to continue the ever
increasing drug prices for a longer time.

Third, the FDA and the Justice Department have decided to control the
distribution of legal drugs in the United States to further protect the
pharmaceutical companies, at the expense of the public. Federal regulators
are waging their own personal war on the Rx Depot and Rx of Canada to stop
their sale of FDA protected drugs to the U.S. public at much lower Canadian
prices.

The next thing you know, grandpa will be arrested at the Canadian border for
bringing in newly FDA declared illegal (read Canadian purchased) Viagra.

Fourth, drug companies are allowed to increase the prices they charge for
controlled and protected legal prescription drugs long after they have
initially gone to market. Once the R&D costs, the manufacturing costs, the
normal distribution costs, the seven-year guaranteed protection period and
the targeted company profits have been calculated into establishing the
initial market price of the drugs, what other possible reason can drug
companies have to raise prices further? And do it over and over again?

The next time you pay the exorbitant prices for your prescription drugs,
just remember you are paying your part for advertising, and you are also
paying for the outlandish salaries and bonuses of the CEOs and CFOs of the
drug companies (another story in itself), you are paying the huge costs of
drug company lobbyist, you are contributing indirectly to the campaign
coffers of candidates to office (through corporate campaign giving) and you
can thank your own government for keeping the prices so high.

Unfortunately, most of the pharmaceutical companies are based in other
countries or have significant operations there, which allows them to divert
their profits and avoid U.S. taxes. Everybody wins, except you the American
public.

And while you pay for all these special interests, our Canadian and Mexican
friends are getting the exact same drugs at a fraction of the costs you pay.

If you think the prescription drug epidemic, which the pharmaceutical
companies are promoting and spreading and that the government is encouraging
and protecting, is not serious, then look at Rush Limbaugh and his recent
admission of addiction to legal prescription drugs.

How many other Americans have been lured into the web of safe and legal
drugs by being bombarded with the constant promises of relief from almost
any ailment? It looks like the War on Drugs II is a huge success, because
the pharmaceutical companies of legal drugs are capturing market share (at
protected inflated prices) from the sale of illegal drugs by drug czars.

- - William E. Dueease is president of The Coach Connection in Fort Myers.