Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.R. No. 66 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this resolution is to strongly urge GlaxoSmithKline Corporation to immediately resume all the prescription drug deliveries to Canadian pharmacies suspended on January 21, 2003.

GlaxoSmithKline and the Board of Pharmacy submitted comments on this resolution. An individual provided written testimony supporting the resolution.

Your Committee finds that Americans pay a higher price for prescription drugs than any other nation and said higher prices have a severe economic impact on our senior citizens.

Moreover, your Committee finds that Canadian pharmacies are a critical resource for Americans to purchase prescription drugs at up to eight per cent less than comparable prescription drugs purchased within the United States and one of the major supplier to Canadian-based mail-order pharmacies is the British GlaxoSmithKline Corporation, the world's second largest drug manufacturer. On January 21, 2003, GlaxoSmithKline suspended all shipments of prescription drugs to these Canadian pharmacies and said suspension will severely affect the medical needs of many of America's seniors.

Finally, your Committee finds that the assertion by GlaxoSmithKline, that Americans may be violating United States drug laws, must be balanced by repeated assurances from the United States Food and Drug Administration officials that individuals importing prescription drugs from Canada, for exclusively personal use, have no need to fear that the federal government will interfere in their Canadian drug purchases.

For the foregoing reasons, your Committee finds that this resolution is beneficial to the American purchaser, especially senior citizens, of prescription drugs.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 66 and recommends its adoption.