After a glowing review of Angell’s book on Amazon.com (quote: “[The drug companies] have antagonized grannies all over the US with their work to stop reimportation of cheaper drugs into the US, a practice that has been in place for many years in Europe. And anyone in marketing or public relations can tell you that no money in the world can help you win against millions of mad grandmothers.”), Peter Rost, a VP at Pfizer, spoke out in support of reimportation , breaking ranks with Pharma’s official position of “drugs from Canada are unsafe!”

bq. We have to speak out for the people who can’t afford drugs, in favor of free trade and against a closed market. During my time responsible for a region in northern Europe, I never, not once, heard the drug industry, regulatory agencies, the government or anyone express any concern related to safety. And I think it is outright derogatory to claim that Americans would not be able to handle reimportation of drugs when the rest of the world can do this.

Pfizer’s official line: “We have a clear and consistent policy on importation. We believe it puts the health of patients at additional risk.”

Rost was previous demoted by Wyeth for telling superiors the company was defrauding foreign governments.

Peter Rost, folks. Pharma, please keep hiring him when he gets fired from Pfizer.

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