Wall Street Journal Investigates Process of Importing Medicine from Canada

The Wall Street Journal on Oct. 22 looks at the "ins and outs" of importing less expensive prescription drugs from Canada, a cost-saving technique that "tens of thousands" of people in the United States are "already doing." Several Canadian pharmacies are generating business by offering "drastic" savings through Internet sales, even though drug reimportation is "technically prohibited" by the FDA. The agency's rules on the issue "clear[ly]" state that "only a drug maker can import drugs," except in certain situations in which an individual with a U.S. doctor's approval can import a 90-day supply of a drug that is not approved for use in the United States. However, the policy "in practice" is "much murkier," the Journal reports. Most of the drugs being purchased in Canadian pharmacies by U.S. customers are approved for sale in the United States, but the prices are considerably lower in Canada. The price difference on brand-name drugs stems from Canadian government price caps and the "weak currency," according to the Journal. FDA officials say those who purchase prescription drugs at Canadian pharmacies are "taking a risk" because the medicines are not under the FDA's purview, and therefore the agency cannot "guarantee their safety" (Parker-Pope, Wall Street Journal, 10/22). An FDA official said, "We don't want anyone to get their prescriptions filled in a foreign country. We urge people not to import foreign drugs. That said, if people are going to go ahead and order drugs outside the United States, they're better off getting them from Canada than from a country like Thailand or Mexico." The official added, "At least Canada has drug regulations and testing systems that are comparable to ours in the United States, which makes it a little safer."

Canadian Concerns
The practice of drug reimportation has some Canadian officials concerned about "legal issues, neighborly relations and sufficient medicine supplies" for the country's own citizens, the Journal reports. Barbara Wells, executive director of the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities, the "umbrella group" representing pharmacy regulatory bodies in Canada, said, "The FDA, by saying it's illegal but we're not enforcing it, has only served to complicate things at our end. To be honest, we'd prefer for the FDA to either say it's illegal and enforce it. Or legalize the importation of drugs from Canada. That would get us out of the gray area we're operating in right now." Some U.S. pharmaceutical industry leaders agree. Crystal Wright, a spokesperson for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, said, "Now it's not so much mom and pop trying to find a way on their own" to purchase prescription drugs from Canada. She added, "They're being encouraged in writing ... it's being condoned. Our government needs to get serious about what to do for seniors in the long run" (Blaglole, Wall Street Journal, 10/22).