Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz to Hold Public Hearings to Allow Seniors to Obtain Prescription Medication from Canada

New York State Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz (D- Bronx) will Chair a Public Hearing on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. in Conference Room 6 of the Empire State Plaza – Concourse Level in Albany. This public hearing will accept oral and written testimony regarding Senate Bill 1645 introduced by Senator Diaz which creates the New York State Prescription Medication Cost Containment Program. The legislation is modeled after a successful program that was implemented by Schenectady County in 2005. Since the inception of this program, Schenectady County has saved a total of $5.8 million in prescription drug expenditures, including a savings of $730,000 in 2008.

Senator Diaz, Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Aging, stated, “I am confident that this hearing on Senate Bill 1645 will support my effort to do for New York State what Schenectady County has done for its own seniors by allowing seniors to voluntarily sign a contract with CanaRx in order to purchase their prescription drugs. Senior citizens in New York State should no longer have to decide whether to buy groceries or fill their prescriptions.”

To date, the following people are scheduled to present testimony : Michael Burgess, Director, NYS Office for the Aging; Christopher Gardner, Chair, Schenectady County Attorney; G. Anthony Howard, President and CEO, CanaRx Services, Inc.; Jason Angell, Working Families Party; Craig Burridge, Pharmacists’ Society of the State of New York; Chris Ward, PhRMA; John Panichi, CEO and Barry McNamara, President, Benetech; and David McNally, Manager of Government Affairs and Bill Ferris, State Legislative Representative AARP of NYS.

Senate Bill 1645 will authorize the Executive Director of EPIC to utilize Canada’s research-based pharmaceutical companies in order to secure the best quality FDA-approved prescriptions at the lowest possible costs. This should result in significant savings to New York State.

For further information, please contact:
Cathy Bern-Smith, Policy Director : 518/455-2513.
Ann Noonan, Press Aide: 718/991-3161 Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz to Hold Public Hearings to Allow Seniors to Obtain Prescription Medication from Canada

New York State Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz (D- Bronx) will Chair a Public Hearing on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. in Conference Room 6 of the Empire State Plaza – Concourse Level in Albany. This public hearing will accept oral and written testimony regarding Senate Bill 1645 introduced by Senator Diaz which creates the New York State Prescription Medication Cost Containment Program. The legislation is modeled after a successful program that was implemented by Schenectady County in 2005. Since the inception of this program, Schenectady County has saved a total of $5.8 million in prescription drug expenditures, including a savings of $730,000 in 2008.

Senator Diaz, Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Aging, stated, “I am confident that this hearing on Senate Bill 1645 will support my effort to do for New York State what Schenectady County has done for its own seniors by allowing seniors to voluntarily sign a contract with CanaRx in order to purchase their prescription drugs. Senior citizens in New York State should no longer have to decide whether to buy groceries or fill their prescriptions.”

To date, the following people are scheduled to present testimony : Michael Burgess, Director, NYS Office for the Aging; Christopher Gardner, Chair, Schenectady County Attorney; G. Anthony Howard, President and CEO, CanaRx Services, Inc.; Jason Angell, Working Families Party; Craig Burridge, Pharmacists’ Society of the State of New York; Chris Ward, PhRMA; John Panichi, CEO and Barry McNamara, President, Benetech; and David McNally, Manager of Government Affairs and Bill Ferris, State Legislative Representative AARP of NYS.

Senate Bill 1645 will authorize the Executive Director of EPIC to utilize Canada’s research-based pharmaceutical companies in order to secure the best quality FDA-approved prescriptions at the lowest possible costs. This should result in significant savings to New York State.

For further information, please contact:
Cathy Bern-Smith, Policy Director : 518/455-2513.
Ann Noonan, Press Aide: 718/991-3161