Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Prescription Drugs
U.S. Customs Officers Stop Seizing Mailed
Prescription Drugs Purchased From Canada
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials on Tuesday
said that as of Oct. 9 they will no longer seize prescription drugs sent
by mail to U.S. residents from Canadian pharmacies, the Wall Street
Journal reports (Carreyrou, Wall Street Journal,
10/4). Customs officials have seized thousands of packages of prescription
drugs sent from Canadian pharmacies to U.S. residents since Nov. 17, 2005,
when the agency began to increase enforcement of federal laws that
restrict the purchase of medications from abroad. The purchase of
prescription drugs from abroad is illegal, but customs and FDA officials generally have
allowed the practice (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 7/12). As
of mid-July, Customs officials had seized more than 37,000 packages.
However, the seizures "had come under fire from lawmakers for depriving
tens of thousands of American seniors of their drugs and protecting the
high prices charged by U.S. pharmaceutical companies," the
Journal reports (Wall Street Journal, 10/4). In
an e-mail sent on Monday to some lawmakers, Customs officials said that
they will end the seizures and will begin to test random packages for
counterfeit prescription drugs and medications with ineffective
ingredients on "randomly generated days throughout the fiscal year"
(Girion, Los Angeles Times, 10/4).
Comments
Lynn Hollinger, a Customs spokesperson, said, "We
just decided to focus our resources differently. We are still very
committed to protecting the American public from these medications"
(LaMendola, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 10/4). A Department of Homeland
Security spokesperson in a statement said, "While we are reversing
this policy, (Customs and Border Protection) remains committed, in
cooperation with the FDA, to protecting the American public from unsafe
and ineffective medications. We will be focusing our resources to best
protect the American public." An FDA spokesperson declined to comment on
the decision to end the seizures.
Reaction
Jodi Reid, director of the California Alliance
for Retired Americans, said, "People were concerned that they might
not get their drugs because they were getting seized." Reid added, "This
does open that option again for people who were trying to figure out how
to get their medications to manage their health at a price they can
afford" (Los Angeles Times, 10/4). Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)
said, "This is a huge victory. For nearly a year, the White House has been
punishing seniors for filling their prescriptions at lower Canadian
prices." Nelson added, "Now it looks like the government it getting out of
the business of harassing these consumers." However, Ken Johnson, senior
vice president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America,
raised concerns about the decision to end the seizures. "We're adamantly
opposed to any importation schemes. Fake drugs are a very serious problem
that is real and growing," he said (Wall Street Journal,
10/4).