...While House Leaders Debate Proposals to Protect Internet Pharmacies

One bill already in the legislativehopper, Rep Ron Paul's (R, Tex) PrescriptionDrug Affordability Act, would"protect Internet pharmacies?frombeing strangled by federal regulation"—a move he says will help reducethe cost of prescription drugs to theelderly.

The Internet "makes pharmaceuticalsand other products more affordableand accessible for millions ofAmericans,"but "the federal governmenthas threatened to destroy thisoption by imposing unnecessary andunconstitutional regulations on Websites that sell pharmaceuticals."

In addition to short-circuiting federalrestrictions on e-Pharmacy, the legislationwould also offer a prescriptiontax cut for seniors and promote Rximportation from Canada or Europe byproviding that "anyone wishing toimport a drug simply submits an applicationto the FDA, which mustapprove the drug unless the FDA findsthe drug is either not approved for usein the United States, or is adulteratedor misbranded."

Mr. Rankin is a freelance medical writer.