By AP / KWMU
Springfield, IL – The states launched the program Monday despite federal laws banning prescription drug imports.
The program is called I Save RX. It works through a Canada-based clearinghouse and claims it can save residents 25 to 50 percent off U.S. retail prices on about 100 medications.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich says that willhelp many of the nearly 13 million Illinois residents save hundreds ofdollars each year.
By including pharmacies in Ireland and the United Kingdom, I Save RX goes beyond programs in other states that direct residents on how to buy prescription drugs from Canada.
For more information on the program, call 1-866-ISAVE-33 or click here to visit the I-save RX website.
Officials in Missouri say they're considering joining Illinois and Wisconsin. A spokeswoman for Governor Bob Holden says Holden's chief of staff has talked to Illinois officials about the program.