Panel IV: Import
Controls on Pharmaceutical Products - Health Care Costs and
Intellectual Property Rights
Tuesday, March 6, 2001; 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Introduction
Though United States trade policy can be characterized as a policy
of free trade, there are instances where other concerns preempt
maintaining complete free trade with other countries. Import
controls are one of the chief means by which these other concerns
manifest themselves. Recently, the legitimacy of certain import
controls based on intellectual property rights placed on
pharmaceuticals has been questioned.
In an effort to control the rising cost of health care in the United
States, some in Congress have suggested reversing a long time policy
of prohibiting parallel imports of pharmaceuticals - that is,
allowing drugs legitimately manufactured outside the United States
to be imported. Supporters argue that in most cases, this would
substantially bring down the cost of drugs to consumers. Opponents,
however, counter that this would simply force pharmaceutical
companies to raise prices around the world in order to prevent this
sort of arbitrage. This discussion explored the policy arguments of
both sides of this debate, as well as potential impact upon the
international availability of drugs used to combat diseases and
viruses such as Diabetes and AIDS.
Speakers
Dr. Carsten Fink
Economist, World Bank
Dr. Fink is currently assigned to the International Trade Division
of the World Bank's Development Research Group.
Dr. Fink has contributed to a number of research projects for the
World Bank. Presently, Dr. Fink is working on a research project
concerning trade in services and trade policy strategies in regional
and multilateral trade negotiations. Prior to his current research
project, Dr. Fink conducted extensive research on the economic
implications of protecting intellectual property rights as well as
on the institutional aspects of intellectual property rights policy
in the multilateral trading system.
Dr. Fink holds a M.S. in economics from the University of Oregon and
a Ph.D. degree in economics from the University of Heidelberg,
Germany.
Ms. Susan King
Finston
Assistant Vice President of Intellectual Property and Middle
East/Africa Affairs Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers
Association (PhRMA)
Ms. Finston develops strategies for improved intellectual property
protection and has regional responsibilities for the Middle East,
South Asia and Africa within the International Division of PhRMA.
PhRMA represents the leading U.S.-based pharmaceutical and
biotechnology companies.
Prior to joining PhRMA Ms. Finston was a United States Department of
State Foreign Service Officer specializing in intellectual property
and international trade policy. Foreign postings included Manila,
Philippines, Tel Aviv, Israel, and London, United Kingdom. During
the course of her eleven-year Foreign Service career, Ms. Finston
received two meritorious honor awards for work on bilateral and
multilateral trade negotiations. From 1986 -1988, Ms. Finston served
as a Motions Clerk working closely with rotating panels of active
judges at the Federal Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in
Chicago, Illinois.
Ms. Finston received a B.S. in Philosophy, awarded with high honors
from the University of Michigan Honors College and a joint J.D./M.P.P.,
also from the University of Michigan.
Dustin May
Legislative Assistant, Congressman Bernie Sanders
Congressman Sanders is perhaps best known for being the first to
lead seniors on bus trips to Canada to purchase their prescription
drugs at a fraction of the price. For the past year, Mr. May
has been charged with shepherding through Congress legislation to
allow the wholesale importation of prescription drugs as a means to
lower drug prices in the United States. Now that the
legislation has become law as the Medicine Equity and Drug Safety
Act of 2000, Mr. May will continue to manage new legislation seeking
to fully implement and improve the law.
Prior to working for Congressman Sanders, Mr. May served on the
Health staff of the Senate Finance Committee for then ranking
member, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Prior to that he
served with the House Commerce Committee for Congressman John D.
Dingell. Mr. May holds Bachelors degrees from Michigan State
University in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy and
Russian and East European Studies.
Mr. John Rector
Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and General Counsel,
National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)
Mr. Rector is responsible for legislative and regulatory programs
and for the NCPA Political Action Committee.
Before joining the NCPA in 1980, Mr. Rector served as a civil rights
trial attorney for the United States Department of Justice, and
spent six years as a deputy chief counsel (1971-73) and the chief
counsel and staff director (1973-77) for the United States Senate
Judiciary Committee and worked on pharmaceutical, drug abuse,
firearms and juvenile justice legislation. Mr. Rector served as
counsel to Senator Birch Bayh (1971-77), and the Senator's
legislative assistant for health (1973-75).
Mr. Rector is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley,
and of the University of California's Hastings College of Law. Mr.
Rector has also received an honorary Doctor of Pharmacy from the
Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy.
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