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WASHINGTON — If House Speaker Paul Ryan comes down with the flu this winter, he and his security detail won’t be screeching off toward the closest CVS for his Tamiflu.

Instead, he can just walk downstairs and pick up the pills, part of a little-known perk open to every member of Congress, from Ryan and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell down to the newest freshman Democrat.

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Nearly every day for at least two decades pharmaceutical drugs have been brought by the carload to the Capitol — an arrangement so under the radar that even pharmacy lobbyists who regularly pitch Congress on their industry aren’t aware of it.

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    • MG, I’ve been trying to find this information as well. A good read, “The Global Pain Crisis”, by Judy Foreman.

      The US gov’t reports on opioids collectively, making NO distinction between illicit and illicitly obtained opiates and rx opioids legitimately obtained from a doctor/pharmacy (and not stolen even if they are rx’d. 40% of opioid-related deaths with rx meds are meds stolen from a family member or “friend”.) On the death certificate/medical record, it will say something like, “opioid-related overdose”. Govt uses this as propaganda to promote their botched attempt to reign in the problem and to cover up their screw-ups.

      Other countries are now realizing it’s the US drug policies that have created the mess we find ourselves in now. More countries are beginning to follow Amsterdam and Portugal’s lead, drafting legislation decriminalizing all drugs and regulating them. Smart move.

    • Interesting, cute little independent pharmacy, it actually makes me smile seeing the old fashion pharmacy setting, however inside the quaint pharmacy most likely holds many secrets regarding our government employees especially the ones that are against legal p meds, for chronic pain pts, who desperately need them 2 survive. They indeed deserve meds if they need them but we as chronic pain pts are denied them or r a dose so small that the regime is ineffective. Too bad the pharmacy does not have access to the illegal drugs these politicians are using also. I say DRUG TEST THEM weekly, randomly just like we as pts are subject to,

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