GlaxoSmithKline BLOCKS CANADIAN DRUG IMPORTS

Early this year GlaxoSmithKline sent a letter to Canadian pharmacies stating that "GSK is strongly against the Internet sale and export of its Canadian medications." Later it continues "retail and/or Internet pharmacies, selling GSK products to consumers located in the United States, or otherwise outside of Canada, constitutes a breach of our Terms and Conditions of Sale and will result in GSK refusing to supply your pharmacy directly and/or wholesalers/distributors servicing your pharmacy. Furthermore, this breach could also render any retail and/or Internet pharmacy liable for inducing your current wholesalers to breach their contract with GSK." They have stopped supplying pharmacies they think are selling to American consumers.

CanadaMeds along with other Canadian pharmacies are running ads encouraging consumers to get involved to counter GSK's action and discourage other pharmaceutical companies from following suit. Their suggested steps are included below:

1. Contact the U.S. Congress switchboard in Washington, DC at 1-202-224-3121, ask for the names and phone numbers of your House and Senate members, and call them to share your concerns. Or, visit www.congress.org to learn your legislators' e-mail addresses and send them a note.
2. Call Glaxo's toll-free consumer hot-line at 1-888-825-5249, press 3, then press 2, and give your views to the live operator.
3. Write Glaxo's U.S. CEO and tell him to stop the restrictions being placed on Canadian drugs: Mr. Jean-Pierre Garnier, CEO, GSK U.S. Pharmaceuticals, Five Moore Drive, P.O. Box 13398, Research Triangle Park, NC. 27709
4. If you have been buying your Glaxo drugs from a Canadian pharmacy and cannot afford the high U.S. pharmacy prices, check with your doctor to see if there is a comparable drug made by another drugmaker that you can switch to.
5. Consider selling any Glaxo stock that you currently hold either directly or through a pension fund. Glaxo stock is listed as "GSK" on the New York Stock Exchange.
6. You may want to consider switching from these Glaxo over-the-counter treatments to those made by other manufacturers. The company's products include the following brands: Beano, Citrucel, Contac, Geritol, Sominex, Sensodyne, Polident, Poligrip, Nytol, Nicoderm, Nicorette, Tegrin, Tums and Vivarin.

The legislation, called the "Preserving Access to Safe, Affordable Canadian Medicines Act of 2003" (H.R. 847), would subject drug companies to civil money penalties up to $1 million if they discriminate against U.S. consumers who are accessing cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. The tri-partisan legislation, which has 33 original co-sponsors, including Rep. Sanders (I-VT), Rep. Burton (R-IN), Rep. Crowley (D-NY) and Rep. Emerson (R-MO) is in direct response to GlaxoSmithKline's recent move to cut off American patients buying medicines from Canadian pharmacies. Affected consumers may also want to support this legislation.


02/03