preview

Essay On Importing Prescription Drugs

Decent Essays

As the debate over drug prices heats up, it has rekindled a discussion about the private importation of prescription drugs from other nations. Some politicians like Senator John McCain and Senator Chuck Grassley have advocated for importing drugs directly from Canadian pharmacies. While this would allow Americans to pay a lower price for their medication, the pharmaceutical industry is against such a practice.

Are Canadian Pharmacies Bringing in Unsafe Drugs?

According to the pharmaceutical companies, importing prescription drugs from Canada could mean that patients are taking unsafe or counterfeit drugs. Considering Canada has programs similar to the United States Food and Drug Administration, this allegation seems flawed at best. While …show more content…

In the letter, they asked Secretary Sylvia Matthews Burwell to exert her power to allow patients to purchase expensive drugs at a cheaper price abroad. On a more local playing field, state governments have started to increase accessibility to drug imports. When Maine created a legal way for businesses to buy medicine and resell it in the United States, the move was challenged by PhRMA immediately. After being passed two years ago, the law was struck down in February because the state was not legally allowed to pass a law that violated federal …show more content…

President Obama spoke about his desire for Americans to be able to import medicines at lower prices than they could find in the United States. Congress also has a broad range of bipartisan support for prescription drug importation from Canada. Unfortunately, President Obama backed off his statement in order to garner favor from the pharmaceutical industry, and Congress lacks the number of votes necessary to pass a bill on the subject. Now, Democratic candidates Senator Bernie Sanders, Martin O'Malley and Hillary Clinton vow to take up the fight. For the millions of Americans who require affordable medication, the renewed energy in this debate comes as a sign of

Get Access