Boston Mayor Thomas Menino (D) on Wednesday unveiled a plan to launch a pilot program in August that would allow some city employees and retirees to reimport lower-cost, U.S.-made prescription drugs from Canada, the Boston Herald reports (Heldt Powell, Boston Herald, 7/22). About 14,000 city employees, retirees and their dependents who are covered under the city's Blue Cross and Blue Shield health plan are eligible for the Meds by Mail program (AP/Las Vegas Sun, 7/21). Program participants can get maintenance medications such as Lipitor without a copayment, but they cannot get medications that could have severe interactions with other medications, require substantial medical management, are temperature sensitive or are controlled substances, the Herald reports (Boston Herald, 7/22). A panel of doctors and pharmacists developed the list of approximately 50 available medications. Calgary-based Total Care Pharmacy will provide the medications, and Menino said that the city's contract with the pharmacy requires safety measures and ensures quality.

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Menino spokesperson Mark Reynolds said that the program will be evaluated after one year and could be expanded to include more medications or city employees. "Drug prices have been rising too fast. We are pursuing importation as a way to help city of Boston workers and retirees access vital prescription drugs at affordable prices," Menino said (AP/Las Vegas Sun, 7/21). However, biotechnology industry officials criticized the program, saying it will cut into investments needed for drug research, the Herald reports. Henri Termeer, CEO of Genzyme, said that the program "puts the emphasis on the wrong thing. It's understandable, but it's not a long-term solution. It's a Band-Aid solution" (Boston Herald, 7/22).