In World War II Irene Zahuranec felt it was her patriotic duty to work at the former Carnegie Hoop steel plant in Farrell.

This morning the 79-year-old Jefferson Township resident had another duty tugging at her elbow. She and 53 other seniors boarded buses bound for Canada in search of better prescription prices.

With her 83-year-old husband Ed in tow, the couple and dozens of others boarded a bus at Sharon City Centre.

A retiree from General American Transportation Corp.’s former Masury plant, Zahuranec continues to receive hospitalization benefits from the company but gets no help on prescriptions. Mrs. Zahuranec, a diabetic who takes four prescriptions, said the trip should be worth her time.

"I spend hundreds of dollars every month on prescriptions,’’ she said.

Another bus was leaving Mercer at the same time on the trip sponsored by the Alliance of Retired Americans, a non-profit consumer action group based in Philadelphia and the United Steelworkers union. The trip also was designed to attract political attention to the fact that Americans, particularly seniors, pay more than Canadians for American-made prescription drugs.

Richard DeVenney, a 62-year-old from Pymatuning Township also was Canada bound.

"To have World War II veterans who have to go to Canada -- that’s a disgrace,’’ DeVenney said.

DeVenney, who takes eight different prescriptions for various ailments, said he also was lured to the trip by cheaper Canadian drug prices.

"Here we are, senior citizens who worked a lifetime, now we have to go on a bus to a foreign country,’’ DeVenney said. "It’s a shame we have to do this to get attention.’’

Kyle Klaric, Hermitage, a Democratic candidate for state Senate, said the state should begin hammering drug makers for a better deal. Klaric is running against 50th District Republican incumbent Robert D. "Bob" Robbins, Salem Township.

"First we’ve got to stop a lot of politicians from taking PAC (political action committee) money from drug companies,’’ Klaric said.

John Zanetti, a USW subdistrict director, blamed higher prices on the pharmaceutical industry.

"Congress has to do something about greedy drug makers,’’ Zanetti said.

Prescriptions in Canada can cost $100 less than what is charged in America for the same drug, he added. For seniors that can take a terrible financial toll.

"These were people who built this country,’’ Zanetti said. "What are we suppose to do, let them die?’’