Drug importation: limitations of current proposals and opportunities for improvement

Drug importation is a policy proposal to help alleviate rising pharmaceutical prices. Restrictions on drug importation stem from the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act but authorization of importation can be made by the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary. During the Trump administration a n...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Blood cancer journal (New York) 2021-07, Vol.11 (7), p.132-132, Article 132
Main Authors: Scheckel, Caleb J., Vincent Rajkumar, S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
692/700/478
692/700/565
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Cancer Research
Commerce - economics
Commerce - methods
Drug Costs
Drug Industry - economics
Drug Industry - legislation & jurisprudence
Editorial
Hematology
Humans
Oncology
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Summary:Drug importation is a policy proposal to help alleviate rising pharmaceutical prices. Restrictions on drug importation stem from the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act but authorization of importation can be made by the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary. During the Trump administration a number of states passed laws to develop a drug importation programs, however, none have been authorized by HHS. Limitations of these importation programs include sole reliance on Canada, exclusion of high-cost drugs like biologics, and persistent legal hazard of the Personal Importation Program. Potential revisions to current law include expansion of countries approved for importation, inclusion of biologics, and codifying protection for personal importation. Drug importation policies are not a panacea to address rising pharmaceutical prices but may blunt prices while more permanent solutions are pursued.
ISSN:2044-5385
2044-5385
DOI:10.1038/s41408-021-00522-3