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14 FEB 04: BLAME CANADA
A Columbus business which sells drugs was featured on the front page of Friday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Chamber of Commerce was disappointed to discover it was NOT a story on Dinglewood Pharmacy's 85th anniversary.
The front-page story was about Canadian Med Services on Wynnton Road, which helps customers import drugs from Canada at discount prices. The state of Georgia is investigating whether it qualifies as a legal pharmacy. For instance, does it offer discounts on giant chocolate bars - or one-hour film developing?
Ira Meyers of Canadian Med Services told the Atlanta newspaper his fight to stay in business is a matter "between right and wrong." Then it's no wonder some pharmacists reportedly are trying to put him out of business. Canada was on the wrong side in the invasion of Iraq....
Ira Meyers believes U.S. drug companies are overcharging older people who need prescriptions, because the same drugs cost much less in Canada. But wait a minute - does he think those companies are pocketing all that money? The real guilty
parties are the TV companies, running all those prescription commercials.
(I've seen so many of those TV ads for medicines that the next time I see a physician, I'm going to "ask my doctor" about 45 different pills all at once.)
The trouble with Canadian Med Services is that U.S. law bars most companies from reimporting drugs. I frankly don't see what the problem is - because we've imported Canadian hockey players for decades.
The Atlanta newspaper writer gave Canadian Med Services a little slap, noting it has "cheap prints of beach scenes on the walls." So? The company is ready, just in case prescription costs drop in Jamaica.
(Instant Message to AJC writer Andy Miller: Do you really think Canadian Med Services on Wynnton Road is located "on the edge of downtown Columbus?" Just because AFLAC has a tower does NOT mean it's downtown....)
Here's what else is making news this weekend:
+ Cusseta began a yearlong celebration, marking the city's 150th birthday. I know more than half the city's housing is considered substandard, but I didn't think the houses were that old.
+ Fort Benning shipped the "Iron Mike" statue in front of Infantry Hall to Colorado, for six months of restoration. Perhaps it will return more reflective of today's Army, by having an "Iron Michelle" by its side.
(To be honest, I never knew the statue in front of Infantry Hall was named "Iron Mike." In fact, I never thought it looked like Mike Tyson at all.)
+ Columbus rapper Red Diamond released a song about the killing of childhood friend Kenneth Walker. She told WRBL: "We as rap artists are sensitive to censorship and the Constitution and the withholding of information...." Yes, but usually it's the rapper being censored for dirty language - as opposed to law officers being told to tell all.
(Red Diamond's rap tune is called "December Day" - which is curious, because I thought Kenneth Walker's family was notified of the nighttime shooting before the sun came up. What does she know that the G.B.I. doesn't?)
© 2003-04 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.