Drug Importation
Diversifying America’s supply chains point to a more prosperous economic future
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., the chair of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, recently warned that the United States is “dangerously dependent” on Chinese supply chains, especially for the raw materials used to make medicines. Her statement reflects the genuine worries of industry experts and ordinary Americans. If …
What Is the Value of the Interchangeability Designation for a Biosimilar?
By Wayne Winegarden, Robert Popovian & Peter Pitts Biosimilars, to date, have achieved the promise of reducing prices and drug spending in the United States. The unquestioned safety and efficacy of biosimilars have given providers, patients, and employers, amongst many others, the confidence that savings will be even more robust as we …
The FDA and Death by Dietary Supplement
The wife of California Republican congressman Tom McClintock, Lori McClintock, died of dehydration due to gastroenteritis caused by “adverse effects of white mulberry leaf ingestion,” according to a just-released coroner’s report. That herb is just one of many dubious and potentially life-threatening herbal remedies and other dietary supplements on the market …
Don’t Fall Prey to Five Common Healthcare Myths
President-elect Barack Obama has promised to make healthcare reform a top priority. But in order to follow through, Obama and lawmakers on Capitol Hill must reject some longstanding misconceptions about health care in this country. Here are five such myths. Each is widely repeated, deeply held – and dead …
Drug Importation Doesn’t Save Money — It Costs Lives
Proponents of prescription-drug importation notched a victory last week. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee green-lit a bill that would enable individuals to import medicines from Canada in the name of lowering out-of-pocket costs. It’s not something Americans should welcome or support. Drugs imported from outside the United States will …
Drug Importation Programs Come At Too High a Cost
Lawmakers in Colorado are trying to open their state’s borders to prescription drugs from abroad. In 2019, they green-lit imports from Canada. They’re still working on a plan to implement that policy that can garner federal approval. Then last week, legislators approved a bill that would allow Coloradans to import prescription drugs …
NEW BRIEF: Counterfeit Drugs Harm Patients, Economy, Innovation
A new brief released today by the Center for Medical Economics and Innovation at the nonpartisan Pacific Research Institute shows that counterfeit drugs put patients in harm’s way, hinder drug innovation, and lead to job losses. Proposals like drug importation or price controls, if implemented, would exacerbate the problem and …
New Animated Series Aims to Help Patients “Escape the Drug Pricing Maze”
SAN FRANCISCO – As prescription drug pricing and accessibility has become a greater topic of discussion during the current coronavirus pandemic, a new series of animated videos launched today by the Center for Medical Economics and Innovation at the Pacific Research Institute aims to guide Americans through the “drug pricing …
The Epic Folly Of Trump’s Drug Importation Crusade
Late last month, the Trump administration released a plan that would green-light the importation of certain drugs from Canada and potentially other foreign countries. The administration’s proposal comes on the heels of legislative pushes by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida and Democratic Governor Jared Polis of Colorado to import drugs from Canada. Other states are …
Canadian drug imports are a dose of bad medicine
In the coming weeks, the Trump administration is expected to release a draft rule allowing state governments to import cheap prescription drugs from Canada. The rule is well-intentioned. After all, it seems unfair that Canadians pay less for many name-brand prescription drugs than do Americans. But the Trump administration’s drug …
