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| June 02, 2004 | |||
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COLEMAN COAUTHORS BILL TO ALLOW DRUG REIMPORTATION
Bill includes Coleman’s comprehensive safety provisions |
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After months of investigating safety concerns involved in purchasing pharmaceuticals on-line and collaborating in the drafting of legislation to address those concerns, Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) today introduced legislation, which he coauthored, with Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Judd Gregg (R-NH) and Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR). The bill, known as the Safe Import Act, would allow the reimportation of prescription drugs for the first time and contains safety provisions authored by the Minnesota senator.
“The safety provisions included in the Gregg bill are the most comprehensive to date”, Coleman said. “While no system is foolproof, I have confidence that the safety provisions in this bill effectively address most of the safety concerns that I have uncovered in my investigation of imported drugs and Internet pharmacies that I conducted as Chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.” The Safe Import Act introduced today allows individuals, pharmacies, and wholesalers to safely import FDA-approved prescription drugs from Canada and from as many as 15 western European countries. For the first time, individuals will be able to legally import prescription drugs for their personal use. “All Americans deserve access to the safest, most affordable prescription drugs available. Like many of my colleagues, I have strongly opposed the idea that reimportation without addressing the legitimate issues of safety was acceptable public policy,” Coleman said. “Today, I am proud to join with my colleagues in taking the first step in addressing those safety concerns, and providing new options to Americans to access affordable and safe – prescription drugs.” The legislation also contains strict safety measures to ensure that Internet pharmacies are legitimate, licensed, and accountable, establishing a new “user fee” program for businesses engaged in reimportation to provide the Food and Drug Administration with sufficient resources to ensure system-wide safety. “I worked collaboratively with Senator Gregg to include stringent safety provisions that will to the greatest extent possible ensure that counterfeit, adulterated, subpotent or expired drugs will not enter the U.S. drug supply,” Coleman said. “Internet pharmacies are required to display identifying information that will allow federal authorities to verify pertinent information, requires a legitimate prescription, precluding the use of on-line questionnaires as a substitute for a prescription and requires an in-person examination and relationship between a patient and a doctor. These provisions will prevent the unauthorized distribution of dangerous and addictive controlled substances.” As Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Investigations, Coleman has been conducting a six month probe into the dangerous and addictive controlled substances, steroids, expired and counterfeit drugs imported and available through on-line pharmacies. That investigation led Coleman to author two bills focused on improving the safety and enforcement of on-line drug sales. The findings of the PSI investigation will be revealed at a June hearing. Contact: Tom Steward, 202/224-2995 |
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