Manchester - Wes Clark continued with his election theme of laying out what is at stake in this election for the voters of New Hampshire. Today, Clark vowed to take on the special interests and lower the rising cost of prescription drugs.

Clark challenged the prescription drug companies to lower their prices and announced the steps he would take to ensure that American consumers can get cheaper prescription drugs by ending unwarranted prescription drug subsidies and monopolies.

"One of the biggest health crises facing America is the sky-rocketing cost of prescription drugs. Prescription costs are rising faster than any other medical expenditure, raising insurance premiums, and forcing some small business to drop their coverage entirely.

Every year, drug costs are jumping fifteen to twenty percent -- putting life saving prescription drugs out of the reach of too many working Americans, and often forcing them to choose between food on their table and medicine in their cabinets. In the wealthiest nation in the world, that's down right unacceptable," said Clark.

"What I cannot tolerate is subsidizing prescription drug companies at the price of health care for Americans. What I cannot tolerate is what pharmaceutical companies are doing with their taxpayer subsidies. When American consumers pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs, we are subsidizing drugs for the rest of the world," continued Clark.

As President, Clark would lower the cost of prescription drugs by:

• Re-importing prescription drugs. On his first day in office Wes Clark would instruct his Secretary of Health and Human Services to permit the re-importation of prescription drugs from Canada and other Western-industrialized nations with strict quality standards. Wes Clark would also provide the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with the resources that are needed to ensure that re-importation is safe for American consumers.
• Ending drug company subsidies - and use the money for more research into life-saving drugs. Wes Clark would force the prescription drug companies to reimburse taxpayers for the government-funded research that goes into the development of profitable prescription drugs. Wes Clark would instruct his Secretary of Health and Human Services to undertake a study of all the direct and indirect taxpayer subsidies to prescription drug companies and mechanisms for the government to be reimbursed for these subsidies. Wes Clark would dedicate all of the savings into more prescription drug research.
• Allowing the government to negotiate bulk discounts. The Medicare prescription drug bill barred the Secretary of Health and Human Services from negotiating bulk discounts for prescription drugs. Wes Clark would submit a new prescription drug bill to Congress that would not only give the Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to negotiate discounts, it would require him to negotiate. Furthermore, if the insurance companies administering the Medicare prescription drug benefit could not secure discounts of at least 25 percent, Wes Clark would ensure that the government stepped in to negotiate better prices.
• Ending monopoly profits by speeding the introduction of generics to market. The pharmaceutical industry maintains its monopoly profits by blocking the introduction of generic drugs to market. Wes Clark would cut through the red tape and speed the introduction of generic drugs to market. This would mean lower prices for consumers and lower profits for pharmaceutical companies.

Lowering the cost of prescription drugs "isn't going to be easy. It's going to take a higher standard of leadership. Leadership that puts the nation's interests above the special interests. Leadership that believes in open, honest government and demands accountability. Leadership that looks to the next generation -- not just the next election. That's the kind of leadership I want to bring to the White House. And I hope you'll join with me in the days and years ahead," concluded Clark.