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House Ok's Plan to Import Foreign Drugs

The measure will let individuals order prescriptions from abroad without a prescription

Feature: Seniors lineup for online RX

FDA targeting discount drugs

Online Drugs: Do you get what you pay for?

U.S. House members slam FDA for drug import block

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U.S. Goverment Policy
 

 

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House Ok's Plan to Import
Foreign Drugs.
The measure will let individuals order prescriptions from abroad without a prescription.*
        ©Los Angeles Times, Published July 12, 2001

WASHINGTON -- The House voted Wednesday to make it legal for Americans to purchase prescription drugs from foreign countries by mail order, a step that will lead to significant savings for older Americans who use the most prescriptions.
Thousands of Americans from California and Arizona now travel to Mexico, while residents of some northern border states, including Minnesota and Vermont, go to Canada for medicine.
Many drugs sold in the United States are far less expensive in foreign countries where governments  impose price restrictions.
The measure easily passed the House by a vote of 324-101. Republican Reps. Michael Bilirakis of Tarpon Springs and Ric Keller of Orlando were the only members of the Florida delegation to vote against the measure.
Passage of the House bill underscores the growing importance of prescription drug costs as a political issue.
President Bush will offer his proposals today for Medicare reform, highlighted by a call for Medicare's 35-million beneficiaries to participate in discount purchasing programs when they buy prescription drugs.
"The president is very troubled about the price of prescription drugs and the lack of access that senior citizens have to prescription drugs," Ari Fleischer, the White House press secretary, said Wednesday.
The White House hopes to create a clearinghouse that will enable seniors who do not have access to discount cards to enroll with companies -- called pharmacy benefit managers -- that buy prescription drugs on behalf of insurance companies and health plans.
Fleischer, at his daily White House briefing, said the president's discount-card proposal is "very important -- even before Medicare reform can be enacted -- to help senior citizens to get the best prices possible so that the cost of prescription drugs can be lowered."
The potential for even deeper savings for consumers could come from the House-approved measure allowing imports by mail.
Rep. Gil Gutknecht, R-Minn., sponsor of the measure, cited an example in which a constituent using a special ointment for a skin problem paid $130 for a tube in the United States but on a trip to Ireland bought the same medication for $46.
"The bottom line is if you are wealthy enough to travel to Europe twice a year, you can bring back all the drugs you need for the year," he said. "But if you are a senior living on a fixed income, you pay the full price.
Earlier, the House rejected an amendment by Rep. Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., that would have allowed companies -- distributors and marketers -- to import pharmaceuticals for sale to U.S. consumers. Sanders said he was pleased by the final approval of Gutknecht's measure, calling it a "solid victory" in the quest for lower pharmaceutical prices.
A second amendment, approved on a voice vote, would give the FDA $1-million to check patent claims by pharmaceutical companies trying to delay approval of generic versions of their drugs.
The drug re-importation amendment passed Wednesday applies only to individuals, allowing the freedom to order drugs.
- Information from the New York Times and Associated Press was included in this report.
"The House voted Wednesday to make it legal for Americans to purchase prescription drugs from foreign countries by mail order, a step that will lead to significant savings for older Americans who use the most prescriptions.

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By ROBERT PEAR, December 27, 2000 *

The Congressional Bills were unanimously passed by both the House and Senate this summer. The spirit of the bill was to somehow or other create opportunity for those who can not afford their prescription medications here in the USA an alternative, by giving them more facility to purchase foreign equivalents.  In an article released today by the New York Times News Service (see below). The Administration took special care to mention the proposed legislation is not meant to discourage personal import of meds in 90 day supply for consumers. And essentially announces to all those who may not know as much, that such facility exists. More importantly this acknowledgement by Congressional leaders of the need for such alternatives has now been squarely placed in public view, removing the stigma long associated with personal import of meds for medical need.
Quote: "Individuals can still buy drugs from abroad. Scores of consumers cross the border and buy medications in Canada or Mexico. Also, growing numbers of consumers buy drugs from foreign countries. Federal officials have expressed concerns about both types of purchases, but they say that they generally do not challenge consumers importing small quantities of prescription drugs for personal use."
Senator Byron L. Dorgan was an author of the drug-import plan.

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The Associated Press *
WASHINGTON, Dec. 26, 2000

At a presidential debate on Oct. 17, Mr. Bush said the drug-import program "makes sense" as a way to help people buy medicines at affordable prices. But advisers to Mr. Bush said today that he would also consider other ways to moderate spending on prescription drugs, which has grown rapidly in recent years.
The drug-import program was included in the annual spending bill for the Agriculture Department and the Food and Drug Administration. President Clinton supported a version of the drug-import program approved by the Senate on July 19 by a vote of 74 to 21. "I urge you to send me the Senate legislation," Mr. Clinton said in a letter to Congressional leaders in late September.
The bill was revised in negotiations between the House and the Senate. When Mr. Clinton signed it on Oct. 28. Under the law, drug makers could not block the sale or distribution of imported drugs in the United States. House Republican leaders, taking political heat over the high cost of prescription drugs, embraced the import scheme six weeks before Election Day. The purpose of the measure was to help Americans gain access to prescription drugs at the lower prices charged in foreign countries that regulate drug prices.
Senator Byron L. Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota and an author of the legislation creating the drug- import program, has taken constituents to Canada to buy low-price prescription drugs. 
Representative Bernard Sanders, independent of Vermont, led efforts to allow more drug imports, saying they could reduce drug costs in the United States by 30 percent to 50 percent. 
Individuals can still buy drugs from abroad. Scores of consumers cross the border and buy medications in Canada or Mexico. Also, growing numbers of consumers buy drugs from foreign countries through the mail. Federal officials have expressed concerns about both types of purchases, but they say that they generally do not challenge consumers importing small quantities of prescription drugs for personal use.
Drug companies say they now have virtually complete control over the custody of prescription drugs, from the factory floor to the retail pharmacy.
In her letter, Dr. Shalala took a jab at Mr. Bush and Republicans in Congress.
Allowing drug imports, she said, can never be a substitute for providing drug benefits to the elderly as an integral part of Medicare, nor is the solution a prescription drug program run by the states to help people with low incomes.
Mr. Bush has proposed such a program, to provide "an immediate helping hand" to the elderly.

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HOUSE VOTES TO PROTECT PERSONAL PRESCRIPTION MAIL ORDER
From Foreign Countries.*
What follows is part of an article published in 'The Washington Post', Tuesday, July 11, 2000.
"House Blocks Drug Import Curbs"
Amid growing public resentment of high prescription drug prices, the House voted overwhelmingly yesterday to prevent the government from discouraging the purchasing of drugs in Canada or other countries where the medicines are cheaper....The FDA sometimes sends warning letters to those caught doing it.
The [Food and Drug Admin] gives its employees discretion to permit import of drugs that violate its restrictions so long as they are intended for personal use.
The House approved 363 to 12, an amendment to an FDA appropriations bill that would prevent the agency from enforcing the importation ban.... A second amendment, approved 370 to 12, would bar the agency from sending warning letters."
When this is actually signed into law it may affect the way you do business as it effectively removes most import restrictions as long as the drugs are "intended for personal use."

Senate Approves Bill to Legalize Import Of Prescription Drugs From Foreign Countries.*
Senate OK's Prescription Imports:
By Janelle Carter
Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, July 19, 2000; 7:18 p.m. EDT
WASHINGTON –– The Senate agreed Wednesday to lift a ban on importing prescription drugs into the United States from foreign countries, responding to critics who have complained that Americans are being gouged by drug prices.
The measure, which passed 74-21, was attached to the agriculture spending bill currently being debated in the Senate. The debate centers on complaints that Americans are paying more for drugs available at a cheaper cost in some other countries.
"Why are we charged so much more for the identical drug?" said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D. and one of the sponsors of the measure. "If someone else is paying half price or a third of the price than is being charged to the American consumer ... why can't the American consumer have access to those drugs in a global economy?"
Dorgan said the measure will "force the industry to re-price their drugs in this country."
The bill also would bar the FDA from discouraging Americans from buying prescription drugs in Canada and other foreign countries. Technically, it's illegal to import prescription drugs that were originally made in the United States, and the Food and Drug Administration sometimes sends warning letters to people caught doing it.
The House has already passed similar measures. One House provision would prohibit the Food and Drug Administration from enforcing import bans. The other House provision would allow Americans to legally bring prescription drugs across the border from Canada and Mexico.
The debate has drawn heavy opposition from the pharmaceutical industry, which has taken several full-page newspaper ads in recent days urging Americans to call Congress.

SANDERS ORGANIZES TRIP TO CANADA TO HELP SENIORS BUY PRESCRIPTION DRUGS:*
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:   FEBRUARY 16, 2000
New study shows pharmaceutical industry cashing in on tax loopholes while fleecing American seniors
BURLINGTON, VT - Congressman Bernard Sanders (I-VT) today announced plans for a February 18th bus trip from Burlington to Montreal to help seniors purchase prescription drugs at affordable prices. Currently, U.S. law prohibits American pharmacists, wholesalers and distributors from purchasing prescription drugs in other countries such as Canada, where pharmaceutical prices are much more affordable. Sanders, who led a similar trip in July 1999, said he hopes the trip will illustrate the need for Congress to act on the bipartisan International Prescription Drug Parity Act that he co-authored and which is co-sponsored by 53 Members of Congress.
Sanders said, "There is no rational reason why the same exact drug, often manufactured by an American company in the United States, should be sold in Canada and other countries for a fraction of the price that it is sold here. Last year alone, while Americans paid the highest drug prices in the world, the 10 largest pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. reaped a 26% increase in their profits - an average of $2.5 billion each. At the same time, the pharmaceutical industry spent more than any other industry on lobbying and campaign contributions in order to protect their ability to fleece American consumers. We have now reached a crisis situation where seniors and the chronically ill can no longer afford their medications. Congress must act immediately to take on the pharmaceutical industry and protect the American consumer.
According to a new Congressional Research Service study, the pharmaceutical industry receives the largest tax breaks of any sector of the American economy. In 1996, for example, the industry was able to use various loopholes to avoid paying more than $3.8 billion. Since that time, the industry has averaged 17 percent profits, as compared to 5 percent for all other industries. At the same time the industry is benefiting from these tax loopholes, a GAO study requested by Sanders’ showed that pharmaceutical companies charge Americans the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. According to the study, the average drug that sells for $1 in the United States would sell for 71 cents in Germany, 68 cents in Sweden, 64 cents in Canada and 51 cents in Italy. For Vermont, the study showed that seniors pay on average 81 percent more than Canadians for the 10 most widely used prescription drugs.
Sanders continued, "It is an absolute outrage that the taxpayers subsidize the pharmaceutical industry with egregious tax loopholes while the industry fleeces our seniors. My hope is that trips like this will show Congress that it is time to stop listening to the millions of dollars the pharmaceutical industry spends on campaign contributions and start listening to the millions of seniors who desperately need prescription drug relief. Though I am delighted that this trip will enable some Vermonters to obtain their medications at a fair price, this is clearly not the long-term answer to the prescription drug affordability crisis that Americans face. Our citizens should not have to go to another country to purchase affordable prescription drugs. They should be able to purchase their prescription drugs locally, at a fair price, under the supervision of their own pharmacists."
The trip from Burlington, Vermont to Montreal, Canada is being organized jointly by Sanders, the American Association of Retired People (AARP), the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging and the Champlain Senior Center. The trip will include a visit to a doctor to receive the prescription necessary to purchase the medications.

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*The articles above have been edited for brevity.

Source

Feature: Seniors lineup for online RX

By T.K. Maloy
UPI Deputy Business Editor
From the Business & Economics Desk
Published 5/15/2003 1:20 PM
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WASHINGTON, May 15 (UPI) -- While seniors in search of low-cost medication have been traveling on buses to Canada for several years, they have also started traveling in cyberspace with foreign online drug orders that the FDA had been turning a blind eye toward.

However, the Food and Drug Administration along with state authorities, is beginning to take a less-tolerant view, with warning letters recently sent to a variety of U.S. commercial operators who help import prescription medications.

"Everything coming into this country (via mail) is in violation," said a senior FDA official, asking to remain anonymous, about the importation of medications from abroad.

But in the meanwhile, the FDA has no intention of busting the seniors using the service, the official told United Press International.t

"Safety is the main issue," the FDA official said. "Consumers put themselves at risk."

However, for seniors trying to stretch a few dollars the choice can be obvious.

"It cost a lot less, and all my friends are doing it," said one energetic 78-year-old who asked to remain anonymous.

A classic "snowbird" who spends four months a year in Florida during the winter, she first heard about it from friends who had begun using one of the various "Discount Drugs of Canada" stores that have begun to spring up around the Sunshine State.

The DDC stores serve largely as storefronts, where clerks assist seniors in e-mailing or faxing prescriptions written by U.S. doctors to Canadian pharmacies, along with credit card payment. The northern pharmacies usually have Canadian doctors review the prescriptions, along with a short medical history the seniors have filled out and then write a Canadian prescription, which the pharmacies fill, mailing the medication straight to the front door of the person named no the prescription.

The DDC and other similar operations take a commission from the senior for their services.

With more than 50 walk-in centers throughout the United States, and a possible 200 more in the planning, the company may celebrate its first anniversary with sales topping $100 million, according to a recent press release.

But all is not rosy for Discount Drugs of Canada or similar operations.

"They (FDA officials) are trying to put us out of business, but we haven't been told to shut down yet," said Earle Turow, company founder.

According to Turow, however, he has not received a warning letter yet from the FDA.

Not so lucky is Rx Depot, which received warning letters from the FDA and state authorities in mid-March.

The FDA, acting in conjunction with action by the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy in mid-March, issued a warning letter to Rx Depot, a storefront operation. The letter put the firm on notice that FDA considers the operation to be a risk to public health. The Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy issued its own letter to the firm instructing them to cease violating state law immediately.

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In addition, FDA said in a late March release, that the agency supports the joint actions of the state of Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy and the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office petition for injunction seeking to stop the Rx Deport storefront operation from violating state laws in Oklahoma.

The state authorities there filed a petition in Oklahoma state court, alleging that Rx Depot is illegally operating an unlicensed pharmacy.

Similar to the storefront operations such RX Depot and Discount Drugs of Canada are Web site-only commercial ventures such as "Polarmeds.com" or "LePharmacy.com" which also allow seniors to fax their U.S. prescriptions.

Neither of these sites offer any so-called "lifestyle" drugs such as Viagra, or anything mood-altering, such as narcotics, but do offer antidepressants.

As an example of prices, a comparative price list at LePharmancy offers 90 40-mg pills of the broadly used anti-cholesterol drug Lipitor for $188.51 compared to $296.16 in the United States.

The FDA estimates that approximately 2 million parcels containing what would usually be FDA-regulated products for personal use -- mostly prescriptions -- enter the United States annually through international mail facilities.

For the agency, the key issue is safety of the medications being shipped, which do not undergo the same scrutiny as medications distributed through U.S. pharmacies.

The Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons said through spokesman Steve Hahn that the group has "not taken a position" on foreign ordering for seniors yet.

At question said the AARP spokesman is the larger health issue.

"We've been working on a drug benefit to Medicare that would help 39 million beneficiaries, Hahn said.

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He added, though, that those seniors ordering from Canadian companies exemplify "the (economic) challenges people are facing on this side of the boarder."

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy noted in a recent white paper on seniors importing drugs from abroad, that "fueling this mass exodus from U.S. pharmacies to foreign outlets, particularly Canadian pharmacies, are high U.S. prescription drug prices."

The NABP also noted that the "newest twist" to Canadian drug importation involves prescription "facilitators," services that take prescription drug orders from patients then transmit them to Canadian pharmacies for dispensing.

"Although these operations, which range from Internet sites to store fronts, do not stock or dispense drugs, it is the position of NABP that they are conducting the practice of pharmacy and must be appropriately licensed by the state board of pharmacy," said the association in its recent paper on the subject.

Grace-Marie Turner, who heads the Galen Institute, a not-for-profit health and tax policy research organization, notes that Canadian pharmacies have found that exploiting price controls can be lucrative. At least 80 Internet enterprises are operating in Canada, employing about 2,500 people and grossing $500 million a year.

"The U.S. FDA does not have jurisdiction in Canada and doesn't begin to have the personnel necessary to monitor every package of pills coming into the United States," she wrote in a recent article for the Heartland Institute.

Echoing FDA comments, Turner told UPI that while cheaper the dark side of ordering from abroad is safety, with seniors possibly not always getting what they ordered.

Like the FDA, she noted that imported drugs raise serious safety concerns since they could be counterfeited, contaminated, expired or mislabeled.

She also said "I don't think a lot of seniors know" that the mail-order importation of medications from Canada and elsewhere is illegal.

A related issue is the potential economic cost to the U.S. pharmaceutical industry, which according to one recent study --- "Foreign Online Pharmacies: Sizing the U.S. Market for Imported Prescription Drugs," by Jupiter Research --- is minimal at the moment.

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The Jupiter report added, however, that ordering from abroad will grow as seniors get increased access to online and other ordering methods for cheaper foreign prescription medications.

According to Monique Levy, an analyst at Jupiter Research, "Although the current market size for cheap prescription drug imports is less than 0.4 percent of the overall market, the biggest worry to U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturers and retail pharmacies is the potential of the (Internet) kiosk and Internet cafe-facilitated channel because of lax enforcement by the FDA."

Jupiter noted in its report that given the political sensitivity of drug benefits for seniors it is likely that FDA enforcement will be minimal, despite the strong influence of the pharmaceutical lobby.

The report said that the most effective lever that U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturers have for limiting foreign trade is to continue to restrict supply for example to Canadian wholesalers.

"Defining the potential growth of this (online) market will be unclear until conflicting political, commercial, legal and consumer interests are resolved," stated Levy.

Copyright © 2001-2003 United Press International
 

Source

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FDA targeting discount drugs

Agency eyeing companies that import prescriptions from Canada

By Emily Vizzo, Scripps Howard News Service
May 9, 2003

WASHINGTON -- Until recently, the flow of cheaper prescription drugs from Canada into the hands of U.S. consumers continued virtually unfettered by federal laws prohibiting the practice.

Now the federal government is taking a stronger stance against the practice. The Food and Drug Administration has offered to support state and local governments wanting to crack down on mail-order storefronts that have sprung up nationwide.

Canadian drugs are much cheaper than domestic equivalents thanks to government price caps. They particularly appeal to senior citizens struggling with high prescription drug costs in this country. And they're easier than ever to get -- online mail-order with Canadian contacts negates the need to trek across the border.

Prescription-holding consumers can place orders from home computers or at any mail-order storefronts. One company, Rx Depot Inc., opened a fifth California affiliate storefront in Escondido last week, and there is an affiliate in Woodland Hills, Discount Canada Meds.

But the federal government says the drugs aren't safe, and importing prescription drugs that are not FDA-approved is illegal under the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Further, prescription drugs made in the United States and then exported can be re-imported only by the original manufacturer.

"You can't be 100 percent sure that what you're ordering is what you're getting at the end of the day," said Crystal Wright, spokeswoman for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, of the Canadian prescription drugs.

Although several states have responded to the FDA's offer to assist states wanting to crack down on storefront prescription operations, the California State Board of Pharmacy has not taken action on the issue.

"We're still in fact-finding mode," said Pamela Mares, the board's information officer. She said the board considers the problem a federal issue.

Supporters argue that prescription drugs from Canada are as safe as those sold in the United States because Canada has its own drug safety laws. The FDA says that information on them is not verifiable, so people could be consuming medication that is old, contaminated, fake, or from somewhere other than Canada.

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Nevertheless, mail-order for prescription drugs has increased sixfold, from about $4.5 billion in 1992 to about $27.5 billion in 2001.

Discount Canada Meds has been "very busy" since David and Ellen Sperling, both of Woodland Hills, set up shop two months ago.

They've already had some Ventura County visitors, David Sperling said.

Some people, wary of buying prescription drugs from anonymous online Web sites, come to see the store for reassurance before placing their order.

"Someone who had spent over $1,000 at Costco on prescription drugs came here and spent $600," Sperling said. "People come in saying, 'God bless you,' and start crying."

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy has approved some domestic companies that offer prescription drug discounts. That's the case with Drugstore.com, which advertises medication discounted up to 20 percent.

But the big savers are companies that import their prescription drugs. Rx Depot says its customers can save up to 70 percent.

That's cheaper, but still illegal, the FDA says. Officials estimate that half of the 300 to 400 Internet sites selling prescription drugs to consumers are outside the United States.

Seniors say they have no choice but to go elsewhere for medication they can't afford to buy legally in the United States.

When New Yorker Charlie Bell turned 65, the diabetic realized he couldn't afford to pay $1,500 annually for his Metformin medication. When he learned that the same dosage in Canada cost $160, he set up a nonprofit Web site where seniors can place orders themselves.

In its first year or so, the site, meds-ex.com, got more than 40,000 hits.

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"These people honestly, truly need help and they're going to get it from Charlie Bell come hell or high water," he said.

Internet pharmacies importing prescription drugs from Canada say their actions are legal under FDA guidelines "permitting" an individual to import some prescription drugs under very specific circumstances, without the FDA taking action.

An example might be if the medication is for a serious condition for which there is no treatment available domestically.

But doing it just to save money doesn't meet the guidelines, the FDA says. Further, international mail-order shipments are excluded from the proviso.

However, the FDA has done little to prevent the practice until recently. The agency partnered with the Canadian health department to investigate Canadian mail-order Web sites. Domestically, it has begun investigations and sent warning letters to online companies importing drugs from Canada.

The government also established a Web site where consumers can report "unlawful sales" of medical products from the Internet. The site receives more than 300 messages every day, said John M. Taylor, an FDA official who testified in a March House hearing on prescription drugs.

Quietly being ignored are the hundreds of thousands of U.S. consumers making the purchases.

It's a crime officially punishable by a $250,000 fine and imprisonment up to 10 years, but FDA officials say they cannot recall ever imposing this penalty.

In his statement, Taylor said Americans spend an estimated $192 billion a year on prescription drugs, about twice as much as they spent a decade ago. An estimated 80 percent of seniors hold at least one prescription.

"Everybody is very sympathetic and wants to help seniors find affordable medications, particularly for those struggling between putting food on the table and purchasing medications," Wright said. "Patients are desperate for affordable medications."

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Some nervous seniors come to Bell with questions about the legality of their Canada-bound prescription orders. Although Bell says he is "absolutely not" breaking the law and that he doesn't fear FDA investigation, not everyone is convinced.

"They have got people scared, there is no question," Bell said.

 

On the Net: www.fda.gov/cder/ drug/consumer/buyonline/ guide.htm.

Source

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May 5, 2003

Online Drugs: Do you get what you pay for?

 
 

Junkies used to get their drugs solely from the streets illegally. Now you can order them legally from pharmacies that break the law sending them to you.

Dangerous chemicals like Valium for stress or Phentermine for weight control can be bought without a prescription. KATU went online and within days, received both drugs without a prescription.

But can you trust what you get?

KATU put its online drug order to the test and found a little pill can become a danger when you buy drugs online without a prescription.

Addiction specialist Dr. Brad Anderson says about half of his patients that used to get opiates like heroin from the street, now get legal opiates online.

 "More and more," said Dr. Anderson, "Yes, we see patients who report to us the medicine they're not getting from a doctor they're getting over the Internet."

While it's legal to buy and sell the drugs online it's not legal to import them into the US. The Valium KATU purchased is from Mexico, and was marked as documents. The Phentermine came illegally from Florida.

Phentermine is a very, very close cousin to methamphetamine.

Forensic scientist Dr. Ray Grimsbo says if a pharmacy is willing to break the law to sell drugs, how can you trust them to send you what you thought you bought.

KATU had him test the Phentermine.

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Ground into a powder, the Phentermine is put into a testtube. Liquid is added and then it's run through a series of tests against a control.

While tests run, Dr. Grimsbo expresses why he thinks buying medication without a prescription online is so dangerous.

"I can just go online and go to one [website], get a dose," explained Dr. Grimsbo. "Go to another, get a dose, and no one knows because they don't check."

No one checks because it's nearly impossible on the Internet. Without checks, drug purchases can lead to addiction and a visit to Dr. Anderson.

"People's lives fall apart when they get these medications," said Dr. Anderson. "They're not treating themselves, they're not using the medicine to treat an illness. It's a substance which is causing a disease which we call addiction."

Tests on the drug purchased by KATU identified that it was most likely the phentermine that we paid for.

But doctors say taking drugs without a prescription is a real problem.

"Potentially, the wrong medication getting to the wrong patient without the right care and that's a real problem," said Dr. Scott Field who is an O.H.S.U. Family Physician. A problem that can potentially get worse as more and more pharmacies go on line.

The food and drug administration is the agency in charge of keeping drugs like we got from arriving without a legal prescription.

The FDA declined to comment on our story.

Source

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Today's Headlines Today's Headlines
Daily articles from Reuters Health: breaking news on health issues, drug approvals and recent discoveries.
   

U.S. House members slam FDA for drug import block

Last Updated: 2003-04-04 10:00:05 -0400 (Reuters Health)

WASHINGTON (Reuters Health) - Republicans and Democrats at a U.S. House subcommittee hearing Thursday accused the Food and Drug Administration of protecting the drug industry rather than U.S. consumers when blocking the importation of cut-price drugs from Canada.

Noting that the drug industry has given members of Congress and other candidates more than $20 million in the last two election cycles and that they have more than 600 lobbyists on Capitol Hill, "many of us in the Congress believe they do have undue influence," said Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., chairman of the House Government Reform subcommittee that held the hearing.

Subcommittee member Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was blunter still.

"This is payback time. The industry wants to force Americans to pay outrageously high prices in this country," he said. "Tragically, the FDA and this Administration have chosen to represent the interest of the industry and not the American people."

But FDA Associate Commissioner for Policy, Planning and Legislation William K. Hubbard told the subcommittee that the FDA's primary concern is safety. "We are not a price agency," he said.

Hubbard defended the agency's recent crackdown on Internet pharmacies that purport to be selling drugs from Canada. One, he said, turned out to be actually located in Thailand and another in Israel. Hubbard also brought packets of imported drugs confiscated from a customs facility in Virginia, including pills that were unlabeled, and a shipment of Accutane, an anti-acne medication that can cause serious birth defects if taken by pregnant women, which failed to include legally-required warnings.

Buying drugs online can provide savings and convenience, Hubbard said, "but also unknown risks." And he defended the agency's opposition to allowing U.S. consumers to import drugs themselves. "If you open up the world to these sorts of drugs, it's very easy for the bad guys to get in," he said.

Lawmakers at the hearing, however, were unconvinced. Arguments about safety "are grossly overstated," said Rep. Gil Gutknecht, R-Minn., who pointed out that the FDA allows imports of food, including some that turns out to be contaminated. "We should not permit our FDA to stand between American consumers and lower-priced pharmaceuticals," he said.

They also accused FDA of failing to implement a law passed in 2000 that would have relaxed the ban on importing prescription drugs from other countries, although that law expired in 2001.

"The FDA claims they cannot implement this law because they cannot assure the safety of the products being shipped into the U.S.," said Burton. "I believe the FDA needs to do some innovative, 'out of the pillbox' thinking."

Burton also warned Hubbard that he may well be called back to testify again. "This is not over," he said. "I'm going to be chairman of this committee hopefully for six years and you're going to be here a lot."

 

 

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