Free Choice For Prescription Drugs Petition Drive Launches In North Dakota

From the Fargo Forum:

Opponents of a North Dakota law mandating pharmacist ownership of most pharmacies launched a signature drive Monday to place a repeal on the November 2010 ballot.
North Dakotans for Lower Prescription Drug Prices is shooting to collect 20,000 signatures by Dec. 30 to challenge the law, the only one of its kind in the country, at the polls.
The group says that by keeping big-box discount stores such as Walmart and Walgreens out of the prescription market, the law saddles consumers with higher drug prices.

You can find out how to sign the petition, and even volunteer to help collect signatures, here. Full disclosure: I’m on the sponsoring committee for the petition.
This was one of the most contentious issues of the last legislative session, and the Republicans who dominate the legislature should be ashamed of themselves for keeping in place North Dakota’s protectionism which prevents competition among pharmacies. If North Dakotans want to be able to purchase prescription drugs from companies like Walgreens or Wal-Mart they should be allowed to make that choice for themselves.
With the health care issue being one of the hottest issues in the country right now, it’s worth looking at this issue as an example of how government prohibitions on free choice in the health care markets makes health care (including prescription drugs) more expensive.
The answer to high health care costs (and thus high health coverage costs) is a lack of choice. Overturning North Dakota’s silly prescription drug protectionism is another way in which we can expand health care choice and bring costs down.