Senate Amendment Would Allow Reimportation of Rx Drugs from Canada

The Senate on Tuesday voted 68-32 to approve an amendment that would prohibit seizures by U.S Customs and Border Protection of prescription drugs purchased from Canadian pharmacies by U.S. residents. Customs officials have seized thousands of packages of prescription drugs sent from Canadian pharmacies to U.S. residents since Nov. 17, 2005, when the agency began to increase enforcement of federal laws that restrict the purchase of prescription drugs from abroad. The purchase of medications from abroad is illegal, but customs and FDA officials generally have allowed the practice. Some Canadian pharmacy officials have said that they believe the increased seizures are related to the launch of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. Customs officials in February acknowledged the increased enforcement against the purchase of medications from abroad but said the policy change was not related to the launch of the Medicare prescription drug benefit. According to the Associated Press, the "Bush administration has opposed efforts to loosen the restrictions" on the purchase of prescription drugs from abroad, and FDA officials have said that the agency "cannot guarantee the safety of imported drugs."