Current legality of importing meds into USA??

[LazyMoose]

Anyone keeping on top of this? No place to relay post this on MH. I put it on the thyroid forum since a few there (me included) are on a Canadian thyroid med.

Its been a while since I heard any new law tying to be 'slid under the table' with another law / bill making the import of meds from Canada or other countries illegal. Last one was part of the supplement bill, it failed.

Anything in the new health bill (Obama bill, not so new anymore) about limiting imports in the near future?

Got info?, type away!

thanks

[allmymarbles]

If they outlaw the import of drugs from foreign countries, some clever entrepreneur (or pal) will bring them in for us, and those living near the Canadian border will make a short visit north. There is a big difference in my mind between illegal and exploitive.

[Paxiled]

They wanted to make it legal, since Canadian meds are cheaper than American ones for identical meds.  Republicans and conservative dems didn't want to hurt the poor pharmaceutical industry, so my understanding is this was one of the many provisions that Obama dealt away to try in vain to get Republican support.  

[LazyMoose]

"but again my understanding is this was one of the many parts of the original plan scuttled in trying to get it passed in the Senate"

- i'm confused, to make it illegal or legal?

[Paxiled]

My understanding was that many pols, especially in the midwest, wanted to make it easier to import from Canada, but it was blocked by conservative Dems and Repubs and didn't make it into the final bill.  Pharma was against it, natch.  That's my understanding, at any rate.  There have been some local efforts at doing it, but the FDA has been kept in opposition by legislators receiving big contributions from the pharmaceutical industry.  As I say, because the bill is quite long and complicated, and much of the original bill was scuttled by Obama foolishly believing by compromising some Repubs would go along, which of course they didn't since they're voting no and filibustering everything, it's difficult to know whether somebody slipped something in, but again my understanding is this was one of the many parts of the original plan scuttled in trying to get it passed in the Senate.