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University of Maryland professor Robert Freeman warns that proposed changes in U.S. laws and regulations to make the movement of drugs from other countries easier will increase fentanyl deaths in the U.S. In an editorial in The Hill, Dr. Freeman warns that the opioid abuse problem affects a greater proportion of the Canadian population than the U.S. He cites…
Read MoreFormer Federal Regulators, Law Enforcement Officials Dispute Rhetoric on Drug Importation Merits, Highlight the Serious Harm Posed to Patient Health Washington, D.C. — In one of the strongest challenges to drug importation proposals to date, several former federal law enforcement officials and public health experts warned of serious consequences in opening up the U.S. drug supply to Canada and foreign countries…
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A small-scale study in the United Kingdom has found that 75% of the assessed online pharmacies that offer drugs for sale in the UK are unregistered as legitimate pharmacies, and most offer antibiotics without a prescription. This finding could be a serious driver of microbial resistance. Obtaining Antibiotics Online from within the UK: a Cross-Sectional Study published this February, has…
Read MoreRichard Baum, acting director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, warned the House Energy and Commerce Committee that “illicit fentanyl is an urgent public health threat,” in a letter dated Wednesday, March 29, reports the Wall Street Journal. Baum’s letter cites the tripling of the death rate due to fentanyl and related synthetic opioids from…
Read MoreMore than half of law enforcement officials surveyed believe drug importation would increase the flow of counterfeit medications into the United States. Six in ten pharmacists believe drug importation would increase rates of drug abuse across the country. For Immediate Release March 30, 2017 Washington, D.C. – A new national poll of pharmacists and law enforcement officials demonstrates the growing…
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Patients may not understand that generic medication is therapeutically equivalent to brand name medication. Generics offer a affordable and safe option that all patients should discuss with their pharmacist. Additionally, there are prescription assistance programs available to help those who are struggling to pay for the medications they need. According to WBRC, if you have concerns about the cost of…
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All the proposals by politicians to allow drug importation have overlooked something huge: most FDA-approved generics are just as affordable or cheaper in the U.S. as they are in Canada. We called several brick-and-mortar Canadian pharmacies asking about prices and found that a 30-day prescription of 10 mg tablets of the generic version of Crestor costs roughly $14.25 USD there,…
Read MoreOn March 22, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), which represents 64,000 pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students and other pharmacy professionals wrote a letter to Congress opposing plans to legalize importation of non-FDA approved drugs. These proposals, they wrote, are “in direct conflict with recent efforts by Congress and federal agencies to increase the integrity and security of the U.S. drug supply.”
Read MoreThe Washington Post reports that the four most recent FDA commissioners have warned Congress that American patients will suffer if they import drugs from other countries, citing fake, substandard and contaminated drugs as potential consequences.
Read MoreMike Leavitt | March 20, 2017 With the issue of prescription drug importation being debated on Capitol Hill again, mark me in the skeptical camp. As a matter of safety and practical policymaking, drug importation simply doesn’t work. It is not by happenstance that our country has the world’s safest drug supply. Counterfeit medicines are proliferating around the world and the…
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