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Missouri Joins Canadian Drug Program

Missouri Governor Bob Holden (left) and his Illinois counterpart Rod Blagojevich announce Missouri's participation in the drug program.
(UPI photo/Bill Greenblatt)
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Missouri Governor Bob Holden (left) and his Illinois counterpart Rod Blagojevich announce Missouri's participation in the drug program.

By Bill Raack, KWMU

St. Louis – Missouri is the latest state to join a low-cost prescription drug plan that would allow seniors to buy medicine from Canada and the United Kingdom.

The I-Save-RX program was started by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich earlier this month.

He says participants can save between 25 and 50 percent on about 100 medications that have been prescribed by their doctors.

The federal government does not approve of the program but Blagojevich says Americans have been going to Canada for drug for years.

"They've not stopped one single American, not one," Blagojevich said. "And if that's the case, then the FDA has failed in its responsibility to protect the safety of the public when they don't stop American consumers from doing that."

Missouri Governor Bob Holden says the program has safeguards built in to ensure that the drugs are not dangerous.

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