As a practicing physician for over 40 years, I was saddened and disappointed to read that our own U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski lead the effort to successfully defeat a Senate amendment that would have made it easier for individuals to get prescription drugs from Canada for general use. She argued that "opening the borders to Canadian-made drugs could endanger American consumers."

"We could be importing death," she was quoted as saying.

Shame on you, Senator Mikulski! Contrary to rumors from the pharmaceutical lobbyists, Canadians are not dying in the streets from poisoned medications. In fact, Canada performs better than the United States in every health measure, such as infant mortality, life expectancy, etc.

The only things that would be endangered by "opening the borders to Canadian-made drugs" would be the enormous, obscene profits of the U.S. pharmaceutical companies and the enormous sums of money they give to buy off politicians.

Dr. Leon Reinstein, Baltimore