May 20, 2020 video: Maine Importation Update

Man presenting on video

Maine submitted a state importation plan to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently to meet its own May 1, 2020 deadline. Given the deep structural flaws in both the idea of importing medicine from Canada and in Maine’s application to do so, PSM wonders if there is a better use of Maine taxpayer dollars than to continue to pursue this idea.

[...]

Maine

Maine’s fake pill problem mirrors other states Download our August 2021 PDF Download our state information sheet about counterfeit drug activity in Maine and consult the updates below. State incident summaries November 2021 – December 2022 Maine has also been pursuing drug importation since June 2019. If established, this program will open the door to counterfeits.…

[...]

Maine pharmacist: U.S. lawmakers should say no to drug import legislation

A few years ago, Maine introduced similar legislation that allowed patients to buy drugs from foreign pharmacies. We, too, wanted to provide patients with lower-cost medicines.

It proved to be a big mistake. Instead of getting drugs from Canada, we got dangerous and ineffective counterfeit pills from other countries. Maine’s disastrous experience with counterfeit Canadian drug imports should serve as a lesson to our lawmakers to say no to drug importation legislation.

[...]

Maine Board of Pharmacy Asks for AG Investigation of Canadian Online Pharmacy

Board votes unanimously to ask Maine Attorney General to send cease-and-desist letter to a Canadian online pharmacy, and to investigate the charge that they are violating Maine law. CanadaDrugCenter’s activities first came to light when Maine Pharmacy Association President Kenneth McCall filed a complaint against them for selling medication that did not originate in approved…

[...]