President Bush wants to provide pharmacy discount cards to the elderly by the end of the year, part of an overall plan to modernize Medicare. Senator Tom Harkin says there’s already a project underway in Iowa to set-up a prescription drug purchasing co-op that’ll start operations in the fall. Harkin says it looks like Bush is watching what’s going on in Iowa.Harkin says he hopes the Bush Administration ensures that local, small-town pharmacists can survive under his discount card proposal. Under the Iowa project, small-town pharmacies can be part of the purchasing co-op to get the cheaper prescription drugs.

Radio Iowa