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Importing prescription drugs from Canada is a sensitive issue in the United
States. While Americans overwhelmingly support allowing it,
nothing has changed. The reasons are simple: the pharmaceutical industry strongly opposes it (after all it will cut into their huge profits) and the industry has as many as 600 lobbyists in Washington and contributes millions of dollars to
lawmakers. So it is very unlikely that Americans will be able to freely import prescription drugs from Canada
anytime soon. (Related:
Caution when importing prescription drugs
from Canada)
Now the doctors are entering the discussion. The American Medical Association at its semi-annual policymaking meeting voted to support the importation of prescription drugs by wholesalers and pharmacies, only if certain conditions are met to ensure patient safety:
- All drug products are Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved and meet all other FDA regulatory requirements; the drug distribution chain is "closed," and all drug products are subject to reliable, electronic track and trace technology; and
- Congress grants necessary additional authority and resources to the FDA to ensure the authenticity and integrity of imported prescription drugs.
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The AMA reiterated its strong opposition to personal importation of prescription drugs via the Internet until patient safety can be ensured.
"America's physicians write more than three billion prescriptions a year for patients — and we need to know that when patients fill those prescriptions the drugs they take are safe, said AMA Trustee Edward Langston. The American Medical Association believes that prescription drugs should be available at the lowest price possible, and we must ensure quality and safety. Patient safety must remain the overriding concern as we work to make prescription drugs more available and affordable for patients. Patients must be protected from unapproved drugs that could be unsafe, expired, counterfeit, adulterated, misbranded or inappropriately labeled."
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