This came as a bit of a surprise to me:
A senior U.S. administration official said for the first time Tuesday legalizing prescription drug imports is inevitable and would save consumers money.
Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, whose agency has led the opposition to imported drugs, also said he would advise President George W. Bush not to stand in the way of legislation to make it legal for drugs to be imported from abroad.
“I think it’s coming,” Mr. Thompson said at a news conference devoted mainly to the new U.S. Medicare discount drug cards.
“I think Congress is going to pass it.”�
That last line is telling, as this “principled” administration has a history of reversing itself and trying to take credit for something once it becomes inevitable in Congress (see Department of Homeland Security, 9/11 Commission).
At any rate, importing prescription drugs from Canada is not the ultimate long-term solution for skyrocketing costs. But it is refreshing to see someone in the administration responding to the concerns of ordinary Americans over those of big business, even if his hand was forced into it.