| Due to unchecked increases in prescription | | | | |
| drug costs, the governors and legislatures of | | | | Gov. Brad Henry has proposed a $1.5 million |
| many states now advocate importing | | | | dollar plan to allow state residents to |
| prescription medications from Canada. | | | | purchase their prescription medication from |
| Several states have even started Web sites | | | | Canada and other foreign countries. In |
| for their citizens to order from approved | | | | addition to the new plan, the Oklahoma state |
| Canadian pharmacies. These states include: | | | | government has met with several Canadian |
| | | | pharmacies to examine different ways that |
| 1. Illinois | | | | Oklahomans can save money by importing |
| | | | prescription drugs. |
| Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) has been a leading | | | | |
| advocate of legalizing prescription | | | | 6. Rhode Island |
| medications from Canada, the United Kingdom, | | | | |
| and Ireland. He created the program Illinois | | | | Rhode Island, led by Gov. Donald Carcieri |
| Rx Cares in order to provide monetary relief | | | | (R), has placed links to Canadian Web sites |
| to senior citizens who fell into the donut | | | | on its state Web site as well as developing a |
| hole of prescription medication coverage, as | | | | Web site called RIRx for state residents to |
| well as others who struggle to afford their | | | | purchase discount medications from Canadian |
| prescription medications. The Illinois Rx | | | | and other foreign pharmacies. Rhode Island |
| Cares program helps locate and aid its users | | | | purchases Canadian drugs for state employees |
| in purchasing prescription medication from | | | | and retirees. Rhode Island also passed a law |
| safe and affordable Canadian pharmacies. | | | | that allows the state department of health to |
| | | | license Canadian pharmacies. Secretary of |
| 2. Kansas | | | | state Matt Brown also announced a new plan |
| | | | called RIMEDS that lets residents find |
| Since Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) took office | | | | discount prescription medication online and |
| in 2003, she has drastically lowered the cost | | | | by phone. |
| of healthcare for Kansans by joining the | | | | |
| I-Save RX program, which has made it easier | | | | 7. Washington |
| for citizens of her state to get low-cost | | | | |
| medications from both Canada and Europe. She | | | | Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) has partnered |
| has also listed links to several | | | | with Wisconsin in creating a state-sponsored |
| state-inspected Canadian pharmaceutical | | | | Web site, to order prescription drugs from |
| resources on state Web sites. | | | | Canada. The state house in Washington also |
| | | | passed legislation to allow certain certain |
| 3. Minnesota | | | | state agencies to purchase prescription drugs |
| | | | from Canadian pharmacies and wholesalers. |
| Minnesota's Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) developed | | | | |
| one of the nation's leading prescription drug | | | | 8. Vermont |
| Web sites, RXConnect, which allows | | | | |
| Minnesotans to access more affordable | | | | The governor of Vermont, Jim Douglas (R), |
| prescription medication found in both Canada | | | | traveled to Washington D.C. to testify before |
| and the United Kingdom. He also implemented a | | | | the Federal Drug Task Force on Drug |
| program that offers incentives to state | | | | Reimportation to persuade the federal |
| employees who order their prescription | | | | government to allow states to pursue all safe |
| medication online from Canadian pharmacies. | | | | means of lower the cost of prescription |
| | | | medication. Vermont's department of personnel |
| 4. New Hampshire | | | | has a link to Minnesota's website, RXConnect. |
| | | | Gov. Douglas has also worked with lawmakers |
| New Hampshire has implemented a new policy to | | | | to allow the purchase of American-made drugs |
| import prescription medications for prison | | | | sold in foreign countries. Vermont's House of |
| inmates and state employees from Canadian | | | | Representatives voted 129 to 8 to allow its |
| pharmacies. Gov. John Lynch (D) has expressed | | | | state's residents to purchase lower-cost |
| his support of the program and plans to | | | | prescription medications from Canada and |
| further extend the program to help more | | | | Europe through the I-Save RX program. |
| citizens in New Hampshire. | | | | |
| | | | 9. |
| 5. Oklahoma | | | | |