SYRACUSE -- The chair of the Onondaga County Legislature's Health Committee, Robert Warner, says the simple threat of competition from Canada for prescription drugs has already saved taxpayers "over a million dollars."
The committee is looking into a potential contract with Canada Rx to provide prescription drugs to the county's 13,000 current and retired employees. Warner says the county could save an estimated $2 million annually by importing the drugs from Canada. Before the committee approves such a contract, Warner wants to know the exact amount of savings to be had.
Warner says when the American drug suppliers learned that Onondaga County was looking into a deal with Canada, they "suddenly" dropped their prices. He says the taxpayers have already saved at least a million dollars because of "the threat of competition."
