Prescriptions Drugs

Washington, D.C., Feb 17 - Through the outraged calls of several of my constituents, it has come to my attention that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is vastly increasing the confiscation of prescription drugs intercepted at the U.S-Canadian border.  For seniors in Florida whose prescription drugs have just been confiscated and destroyed, there is no possibility of appeal or an alternative course of action other than CBP destroying the prescriptions. 

Most of us recognize that reimporting prescription drugs from Canada or any other country has not been legal in the United States for decades.  However, if CBP is suddenly going to enforce a law that many have come to believe is no longer in effect, then CBP should notify these shippers and purchasers.  Florida seniors have come to rely on these prescription drug shipments for their health care needs.  To destroy their medications without adequate warning is a drastic and unwarranted measure.

For this reason, I wrote a letter to CBP, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Health and Human Services asking CBP that instead of simply confiscating and destroying the prescription drug packages, they should include a warning for the first infraction.  The majority of the people purchasing these prescriptions are seniors on a fixed or limited monthly income.  Most seniors do not have the money available to repurchase these drugs and must go without them, exacerbating their illness and situation and putting their health and well-being at risk.  I anxiously wait for their reply.

Additionally, I voted in favor H.R. 2427, the Pharmaceutical Market Access Act of 2003, a bill by Congressman Gil Gutknecht (R-MN) that would have allowed for the reimportation of prescription drugs from 25 specified countries.  The House of Representatives passed this bill but the Senate never took action on the measure.  I have also joined my colleagues in signing several letters in support of reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada.  Unfortunately, last year the Federal Trade Commission and the FDA released a study that found that the United States could not establish a system that could ensure the safety of reimported drugs from Canada.  I am a co-sponsor again of the Pharmaceutical Market Access Act that Congressman Gutknecht introduced but passage of that bill remains unlikely.