Prescription Justice Coalition Letter to Congress in Support of Safe Drug Importation

Posted at 3:53 PM on Jun 8, 2017

Prescription Justice is proud to announce that we have sent a letter to the U.S. Congress, signed by non-profit organizations dedicated to American consumers, patients and families who struggle with the high cost of medication. The letter specifically calls for the passage of the Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act of 2017, introduced by Senators Cory Booker, Bob Casey, and Bernie Sanders. The Act would expressly allow importation of lower cost medications from Canada, and, after two years, other countries with strong pharmaceutical regulations. Uniquely, the letter also recognizes that Americans already import medication for personal use, often ordering them from international online pharmacies, regardless of the federal restrictions. That practice can be safe but rogue websites are a threat to patient safety.

The Act would require the FDA to register qualified international pharmacies and identify websites that sell FDA-approved medications directly to consumers from licensed pharmacies; create registration requirements with multiple layers of oversight to permit U.S. pharmacies to import wholesale quantities that could be sold at much lower price; and increase penalties for online pharmacies that knowingly sell counterfeit drugs.

Passing drug importation legislation is just one important step in the right direction to bring an end to the crisis of high drug prices in America.

Letter to the U.S. House of Representatives in support of safe drug importation.

Letter to the U.S. Senate in support of safe drug importation.

Groups that signed the letter are listed below:

Alliance for Retired Americans

American Federation of Teachers

American Society on Aging

Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation

Center for Medicare Advocacy

CREDO

DailyKos

Doctors for America