Are Cheap Drug Imports Really Safe?

Frankly, drug reimportation is an old debate and hasn’t a lot to do with lower costs but an awful lot to do with safety. Until such time as the HHS Secretary can demonstrate to Congress that reimportation would be safe– the no reimportation rule applies.

Hearings have been held before Congress exposing the dangers, health wise–to financially strapped seniors purchasing drugs from outside the U.S. Tainted drugs, Fake drugs, Old drugs, Mislabeled drug bottles, Mishandled shipments of drug supplies. Who’s to say your little purple pill is as purple as it ought to be? Who’s to say what you’re inhaling is actually what’s printed on the label?

60 Plus knows that the cost for prescription drugs is a major budgetary factor for millions of Americans, in particular those on fixed incomes but, we believe drug costs burdens need to be addressed within our borders.

Well intended bi-partisan attempts by Senators from both parties have sought to allow cheap drug imports. 60 Plus spoke out against these efforts calling them a clear and present danger for seniors seeking less expensive and sorely needed drugs.  Our contention was that this approach opens wider the floodgates to allow dangerously diluted medicines that Congressional hearings have already revealed many were not fit for human consumption.

When it comes to drug importations, what is past is prologue.   Let the record show that President Clinton’s HHS Secretary, Donna Shalala, and President Bush’s HHS Secretary, Tommy Thompson both opposed reimportation of drugs because of the safety issue, that the FDA could not guarantee safety.   Drug products imported must meet stringent standards, from FDA approval and current good manufacturing practices. 

As a matter of record no HHS Secretary, or for that matter FDA Commissioners, have been able to demonstrate that importation is safe or will lead to cost savings. To quote Secretary Thompson under President Bush, he determined that he could not ‘sacrifice public safety for uncertain and speculative cost savings.’

Bottom line: 60 Plus believes allowing any drug importation must be safety certified by the Secretary of HHS or Commissioner of the FDA.

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