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Midwestern States Eye Drug 'Re-Importation'
by Chloe Albanesius
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty traveled to Canada on Wednesday to speak with Canadian officials about letting Minnesota government employees purchase prescription drugs from Canada over the Internet.
Pawlenty, Minnesota Human Services Commissioner Kevin Goodno and a representative from the office of North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven met with representatives of the Internet pharmacy industry in Manitoba to discuss the pros and cons of the "re-importation" of drugs made in the United States, and possibly elsewhere, but sold in Canada, which caps the cost of medical care.
"In addition to re-importation for individuals, we want to look at ways Minnesota's pharmacies can take advantage of lower Canadian prices for their customers," Pawlenty said in a statement. "Seniors and others rely on the local pharmacies they trust, so we're looking for ideas."
Pawlenty met with Canadian Premier Gary Doer of Manitoba to discuss the rising cost of pharmaceuticals and the added pressure it places on their respective healthcare systems.
"We're going to inspect safety measures used in Manitoba and explore re-importation opportunities," he said. "Just this week, FDA [Food and Drug Administration] officials were in Wisconsin talking about how re-importation means compromised safety. We want to see firsthand just how safe the Canadian system is."
The FDA maintains that there is no way for American officials to know if drugs bought from Canada meet U.S. safety requirements.
But North Dakota's Hoeven last week pushed for federal legislation to allow for re-importation. "This is an objective that needs work on all levels," he said in a release. "We need to get the authorizing federal legislation, and we should also involve our pharmacies to ensure that we make this program safe and convenient for our citizens."
Meanwhile, Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack on Friday announced that a state investigation on drug re-importation revealed that the state stands to save at least $10 million by purchasing Canadian drugs for its state employees. The findings were the result of a two-month investigation by Iowa's Administrative Services and Human Services departments and the Iowa Pharmacy Association.
Drug prices for Iowa employees jumped from $44.5 million in 2001 to $54 million in 2002.
Vilsack also urged Congress, and in particular Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, who chairs the chamber's Finance Committee, to back legislation on the matter. "Senator Grassley has the unique ability to press for fair prescription drug prices ... and I urge him to join me in this fight to save Iowa millions of dollars," Vilsack said.
Buy The Technology Now, Pay Later
The Missouri Revenue Department on Wednesday announced that it has chosen Virginia-based American Management Systems to overhaul its tax-collection system. Under the $11 million deal, AMS will provide new software solutions and consulting services.
The Missouri-AMS partnership will be based on a system known as benefits funding. AMS will provide upfront the funds necessary to implement the project, and Missouri will repay those funds later from the additional money the system upgrade is expected to bring.
"Based on projections, we're confident that the Missouri project will pay for itself no later than June 2006," said Jonathan Light, vice president for the public sector at AMS.
One major aspect of the program is to collect delinquent funds. Implementation of the AMS software will allow people to make late-payment arrangements online.
In addition, the company's risk-management program will allow Missouri to apply statistical models in order to better track and collect late funds. Work on the project started in October, and "the first phase of that implementation is tentatively scheduled to go live six months into the effort," Light said.
AMS already has provided tax-management services on a benefits-funding basis to California, Kansas, Virginia and Hawaii, Light said, but it has worked with 15 additional states using more traditional funding models.
N.H. Governor Revamps One Site, Launches Another
New Hampshire Gov. Craig Benson last week unveiled the state's refurbished Web site. The site will feature information on Benson's initiatives, office resources and services.
"As governor, I've worked hard to increase the state's use of technology," he said in a release. "I want to provide more Internet services and promote a customer-friendly state government."
On Friday, Benson also launched a Web site for the state's Smart Growth Initiative, a program designed to conserve natural resources.
Texas Issues AMBER Alert For Missing Boy
Texas authorities issued an AMBER Alert on Tuesday for a 7-month-old whose father allegedly abducted the child after using a stun gun on the boy's mother.
The Dallas Morning News reports that Grand Prairie authorities believe the boy, Braeden Thomas Wood, could be in serious danger after an attorney informed police that the father, Charles Leon Wood, vowed not to be taken alive.
An arrest warrant has been issued charging Wood with felony violation of a protective order as a result of the stun-gun incident, but he could face further charges. He is thought to be driving a brown sport-utility vehicle.
The AMBER Alert system -- short for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response -- is named after 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was abducted in Arlington, Texas, and later killed. The system involves broadcasts over the Internet and other media.
Indiana Experiences E-Voting Glitches
Officials in Boone County, Ind., experienced technical glitches with e-voting machines last week, the Indianapolis Star reports. At one point, the computer systems set up to project results onto a wall in the county courthouse started showing impossible numbers.
"It was like 144,000 votes cast," County Clerk Lisa Garofalo said, when in reality only 5,352 voters had participated. "I'm assuming the glitch was in the software."
Collaboration between officials for Boone County officials and Micro Vote, the company that provided the software, eventually fixed the problem.
Georgia Tech Group Selects Board Members
The nonprofit Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) on Monday announced its new board members for 2004, Business Wire reports.
Dawn Patrick, a partner with Deloitte focusing on media, technology and telecommunications, will assume a one-year term as TAG's chairman from Tripp Rackley when he completes his term in January. Allen Moseley, a partner for the Atlanta venture-capital firm Noro-Moseley Partners, is the vice chair-elect and will assume the chairman's position in 2005.
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