I-SaveRx: New Member Despite Disappointing Enrollment

By Sam Bakken in News on Nov 30, 2004 10:34PM

We don't buy any prescription drugs. We don't have health insurance. Those things are for sick people. So why do we continue to talk about prescription drug costs here on Chicagoist? Because we detest most rich people unless they give us money, provide us with entertainment or are smokin' hot. Drug companies are richies getting richer and they don't give us money. Plus, have you ever seen a sexy drug executive? No, you haven't. Unless you are one and if so, please leave your name, gender, measurements and the amount of money you're willing to pay us to date you in the comments below.

Has the previous paragraph left you sufficiently entertained? By "no" you mean "yes" so now we can get to the news.

The Governor's I-SaveRx program is off to a slow start enrollment-wise, but he was in Topeka today to announce, along with the state's governor, that Kansas is the fourth state to join the program. If you didn't know, the I-SaveRx program allows residents in its member states to buy cheaper prescription drugs from Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The other members include Illinois (duh), Wisconsin and Missouri. So far only 1,206 people have ordered drugs through I-SaveRx and estimates say that approximately 5 million people who don't have prescription drug insurance live in Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri.

Yea, it's a bit of a disappointment, but it hasn't even been around for two whole months yet. The word will continue to spread and membership will increase. The program has added two states in less than two months. The FDA frowns upon the practice, but isn't doing anything to stop it. And the Washington fat-cats have been talkin' loud, but ain't sayin' nuthin'. They won't do anything (especially enact price controls, the real solution) until they have to. It may be a ways off, but once over half of the states in the nation join I-SaveRx, they will.