FDA seizing some prescription drugs imported from Canada

Phil Galewitz reports for Kaiser Health News that the FDA recently has been seizing some drugs that Americans are importing from Canada and other countries. Given that stay-at-home orders during this pandemic make it difficult for people to get their prescription drugs from local pharmacies, it’s hard to understand what’s motivating the FDA at this time. FDA actions are particularly harming older people, who take more prescriptions than younger people and are most at risk if they get COVID-19.

Kaiser Health News has previously reported that around nineteen million Americans import their prescription drugs from abroad. Right now, the numbers could be way up. Buying prescription drugs from abroad can save people a lot of money. And, it keeps them from having to leave their homes, which puts them at risk of getting COVID-19.

Last month, the FDA seized one 83-year old man’s asthma drug. The FDA claimed it was not correctly labeled. The man had been getting it from Canadian MedStore at a 35 percent discount from what he would pay if he bought it at his local pharmacy. He saves hundreds of dollars a year this way.

The FDA letter explaining the seizure of this drug also said that it had not been approved for sale or use in the US because it is a “foreign-made” drug. However, the drug’s packaging is identical to the packaging of the drug sold in the US. And, it is common for drugs sold in the US to be manufactured outside the US.

Right now, PharmacyChecker.com verifies the legitimacy of pharmacies outside the US. Keep in mind that importing drugs for personal use is generally illegal, although the FDA typically does not stop such importation.

Moreover, for more than 15 years now, the FDA for the most part has allowed retail stores in Florida to help people buy drugs from Canada and other countries. Recently, countries that export drugs to the US for people’s personal use have switched from selling a 90-day supply to a 30-day supply.

The smartest and fairest way to bring down drug prices quickly is for Congress to mandate that drug corporations cannot charge Americans more for prescription drugs than the average price charged in other wealthy countries. Senator Bernie Sanders and Ro Khanna have a bill in Congress to that effect. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has a limited version of a similar bill that has passed in the House of Representatives.

If you believe Congress should rein in drug prices, please sign this petition.

Here’s more from Just Care:

• Millions safely import low-cost drugs from abroad
• Six tips for keeping your drug costs down if you have Medicare
• Sanders drug bill makes it easier for patients to afford their medicines
• Coronavirus: Watch out for Medicare fraud
• Coronavirus: What’s in the $2 trillion stimulus for older adults?