Press Release

Prescription Justice Announces Its Support For the Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act of 2024

 

Brooklyn, NY – June 28, 2024. Today, Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) introduced the Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act of 2024, which amends Section 804 of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, to allow for new channels of safe importation beyond Canada to include the European Union, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

 

The pharmaceutical industry already makes most of its drugs outside the U.S. and imports them, but current law blocks other businesses from doing so. If the bill is enacted, the pharmaceutical industry loses its monopoly on the wholesale distribution of drugs from eligible countries, where prices on brand-name drugs are commonly 75% lower than in the U.S. (4.22 times higher in the U.S. than in OECD countries).  

 

Currently, Section 804 allows wholesale importation of lower-cost drugs, but only from Canada, a market that is too small for the U.S. to rely on in the long term. In contrast, the European Union, Switzerland, and the UK are cumulatively far larger than the U.S. and, along with Canada, present a sustainable market opportunity for importation.

 

Critically, new research shows that the European Union is stronger on drug supply chain safety than the U.S., removing excuses and false safety narratives to argue against importation.

 

Prescription Justice President Gabriel Levitt stated:

 

“We enthusiastically commend Congresswoman Schakowsky for bravely fighting Big Pharma by introducing a prescription drug importation bill that has the potential to significantly lower drug prices for all U.S. consumers. As the bill’s findings acknowledge, millions of Americans safely import prescription drugs for personal use each year. Yet, the FDA frequently threatens to and sometimes does destroy these prescription orders, often citing the drugs as ‘misbranded.’ Congresswoman Schakowsky’s bill aims to establish a new, regulated, and safe commercial market, enabling Americans to access lower prices at local pharmacies, and through regulated personal importation when necessary.”

 

In summary, the legislation:
 

  • Allows wholesalers and individuals to import prescription drugs from certified sellers in Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Switzerland to provide a broader pool of safe and lower-priced drugs for Americans to import.
     
  • Establishes clear certification guidelines for foreign sellers to ensure safety and quality and allows the Secretary to collect a certification fee to fund additional oversight burden.
     
  • Empowers the Secretary to focus on public safety and establishes new penalties for bad actors while permitting individuals to acquire the medications they need.
     

About Prescription Justice

Prescription Justice, a 501c4 nonprofit organization, is dedicated to ending the crisis of high drug prices in America. Bringing together doctors, lawyers, public health and consumer advocates, and concerned citizens from across party lines, Prescription Justice advocates for serious regulatory and legislative reforms that will substantially lower the cost of prescription drugs for all Americans and expand access to lower-cost medication from abroad. Learn more at: https://prescriptionjustice.org/.

 

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