Push for drug reimportation gains steam

Despite safety concerns, states desperate for solutions to budget shortfalls are exploring reimportation as a cost-saving strategy.

By Joel B. Finkelstein, AMNews staff. Oct. 13, 2003.

Washington -- Support for drug reimportation has grown in Congress and has spread to several states. But proponents still have much to overcome, including substantial safety concerns and opposition from the Bush administration.

"American consumers are held captive in a market that forces them to pay four, five, six ... even 10 times as much for the same prescription drugs as our friends in Canada and Europe," said Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R, Minn.), author of the Pharmaceutical Market Access Act.

The measure's co-sponsor, Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D, Ill.), recently sent a letter signed by 142 members of Congress to the lawmakers negotiating a Medicare reform package urging them to include House reimportation provisions in the final legislation.

"Already, between 1 million and 10 million Americans buy their drugs from Canada on a regular basis. They often pay half the price, or even less, for the exact same drugs they can buy in the United States," Emanuel said at a recent press conference. "I want someone to explain to me why people from around the world come to America for their medical care, but Americans need to travel around the world for their medications."

But the Health and Human Services Dept. says reimportation of U.S.-made prescription drugs from Canada or other developed countries increases the risk of U.S. consumers getting tainted or ineffective medications.

"We don't have the authority or the resources right now to assure the safety of drugs that don't get imported through legal channels into the United States," said Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Mark McClellan, MD, PhD.