And I think it's time to stop. And one of the ways to stop that is to start some competition. In July, Coburn offered one of two amendments to the annual spending bill for the Department of Agriculture in an effort to create such competition. His amendment would allow pharmacists and wholesalers to import US-approved drugs from Canada or Mexico where government controls keep prices down. The theory is that those discounts would be passed on to US consumers.
Individuals can already bring back a limited supply of drugs for their own personal use.
Advocates of the amendment say they could lower drug prices here by as much as 30 percent. Minnesota Republican Gil Gutknecht. We're talking about real money. Both Coburn's amendment and a similar one by New York Democrat Joseph Crowley were approved overwhelmingly. Only 12 members voted no.