Senate rejects Dorgan's prescription drug amendment

The U.S. Senate today rejected another attempt by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., to allow Americans to buy cheaper drugs from other countries.

The amendment to the health care reform bill received 51 favorable votes to 48 nays, but under rules governing consideration of the overall reform bill the proposal required 60 votes.

The amendment, which Dorgan has championed in previous sessions, would have allowed U.S. pharmacies and wholesalers to import U.S.-approved drugs from Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, where price controls have kept costs lower.

Critics said the Dorgan measure raised concerns about the safety of the imported drugs. Dorgan said those concerns were not warranted and served only to screen a heavy lobbying effort against his amendment by the pharmaceutical industry.

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