Illinois drug import program falls flat with doctors

Lack of information about the "I-SaveRx" program, more than safety concerns, deters physicians from recommending it to their patients.

By Amy Snow Landa, AMNews correspondent. Dec. 5, 2005.

When Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich unveiled the "I-Save Rx" program in October 2004, he did it with great fanfare, touting it as the nation's first state-sponsored program that not only helps patients order low-cost prescription drugs from pharmacies in Canada and Europe but also ensures the medications' safety and quality.

Since then, Illinois has worked steadily to expand the program, despite the federal ban on prescription drug reimportation. Congress came close to lifting the ban this year but stopped short, opting instead to approve an amendment that prevents the U.S. trade representative from including language in future trade agreements that explicitly prohibits reimportation.

Meanwhile, the Illinois-led, multistate program continues to enlarge its supplier network, which now includes pharmacies in Australia and New Zealand, and to welcome other states into the fold. So far, Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri and Vermont have signed on to "I-SaveRx," and more states, including Tennessee and Michigan, are considering it.

But despite the national publicity the program has attracted, physicians' support for "I-SaveRx" appears to have declined. Doctors who were once enthusiastic about the program say they no longer recommend it to patients who are seeking affordable prescription drugs. Few prescription orders have been processed under the system.

The Wisconsin Medical Society opposes "I-SaveRx" because of safety concerns, despite the program's multiple safety checks that include annual inspections of all pharmacies and wholesalers in the network. "There is no assurance that the drugs are what they are purported to be," said WMS spokesman Steve Busalacchi. "So our medical society has advised its members not to participate."