Dive Brief:
- Over the past year, according to Forbes, the idea of importing prescription drugs from other countries has gained steam. In fact, the state of Maine recently enacted a law allowing residents to buy prescription drugs from several foreign nations, including Canada.
- In response, several pharma organizations, including the PhRMA trade group, the Maine Society for Health System Pharmacists and the Maine Pharmacy Association, have filed a lawsuit seeking to shoot down the Maine law.
- On the federal level, a bill has been introduced -- sponsored by two Democrats and one Republican -- would allow Americans to buy drugs from a host of countries where the safety standards are considered to be as rigorous as those in the US.
Dive Insight:
If we can be reasonably sure that the drugs consumers are importing for their own use come from countries were standards are high enough to protect them, I for one can't see any reason why we should not permit the practice as a nation. Right now, we pay some of the highest drug prices in the world, a phenomenon which puts a drag on healthcare costs generally. Addressing the price of drugs should be a priority regardless of how the job gets done.