Problems With Importing Canadian Drugs

More than a million American consumers shopping at Canadian pharmacies are saving between 40 and 70 percent in prescription costs while the legalities regarding importing drugs remain unclear. Meanwhile, a growing trend has state and local officials helping seniors obtain lower-cost prescriptions from Canada, despite warnings about their safety and effectiveness from U.S. pharmaceutical companies.

Legal Loopholes

• Importing prescriptions from Canada is illegal according to one U.S. law and permissible according to another.

  Federal laws are at odds, regarding importing drugs from Canada. On the one hand, a long-standing federal law prohibits U.S. citizens from importing prescriptions from Canada. On the other, a 2003 Medicare law permits importing up to a 90-day supply of medications for personal use. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must conclude that importing drugs from Canada does not pose a public safety risk before it will enact the 2003 law.

Pharma Power

• U.S. pharmaceutical companies spent $268 million on lobbying in 2009.

  In Canada, as of 2010, a prescription for the cholesterol drug, Lipitor, costs $33 compared to costing $125 in the U.S. Pharmaceutical companies are the most profitable businesses in the country with more than half the industry's revenue generated from U.S. drug sales, which reached $228 billion in 2007. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the pharmaceutical and health product industry in 2009 spent more than $268 million on lobbying, the greatest amount ever spent in a single year by one industry. Drug manufacturers lobby to shut down drug importations, extend patents, and prevent limits on direct-to-consumer ads. "The central point is that their massive spending has been highly successful, largely producing the political results the drug industry wants," said Bill Buzenberg, executive director of the Center for Public Integrity.

  However, according to Randall W. Lutter, Ph.D., Acting Deputy Commissioner for Policy at the FDA, "Keeping unsafe drugs away from American consumers is an enormous task, as we are faced with a deluge of drugs at points of entry into the U.S. originating from all over the world. We are continually assessing this issue to determine how FDA can best protect American consumers from this threat."

Trends

• Some northern communities are busing senior citizens to Canadian pharmacies where they can buy cheaper drugs.

  As of 2010, an increasing number of state and local officials are helping citizens purchase lower-cost prescriptions from Canada and Europe. State-sanctioned programs or guidelines on state websites for importing prescription drugs are promoted in many states. Some have joined in a lawsuit against the FDA for citizen rights to purchase Canadian drugs, while Northern border communities, such as Warren, Michigan, offer senior citizens bus trips so they can buy cheaper Canadian drugs.

Buyer Beware

• Online resources assist consumers in determining whether a Canadian pharmacy is reputable.

  Purchasing prescriptions from online Canadian pharmacies can be risky unless you do your homework. Some online pharmacies handle drugs that may be counterfeit or unsafe, and drugs from Canada may have different names than their U.S. counterparts. If you purchase medications from a reputable Canadian pharmacy, you need not worry, said Angell and other medical professionals. Canadian prescription drugs are approved by Health Canada, which has standards similar to the FDA, so consumers can be relatively assured of safety. An online pharmacy verification program, Pharmacy Checker, lists reputable pharmacies in the U.S., Canada, and other foreign countries and allows consumers to compare prices. For online pharmacies, check for a VIPPS (Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites) seal of approval on the website, which certifies that a pharmacy is licensed, complies with standards, and protects your medical information. Internet pharmacies should not be trusted if they do not include an address and toll-free phone number.