Emily Engh
Wilmington University
BBM 370
Week 4 Essay
I believe the U. S should legalize the importation of lower-cost pharmaceuticals and it should
apply to wholesalers and pharmacies, and individual consumers. This would allow wholesalers to offer
lower pharmaceuticals at a lower price for consumers. If the pharmaceuticals meet the standards set by
the Food and Drug Administration, I believe there should not be a reason as to why this could not
happen. "Around 45 million Americans-18 percent of the adult population-said last year they did not fill
a prescription die to cost." Canadian prescription drugs have shown to have cost 40--60 % less than the
U.S. Florida's governor, Ron DeSantis, allowed the state to import lower-cost prescription drugs.
I think that if the United States were to permit the importation of lower-cost pharmaceuticals
from abroad, I do not think it should apply to all foreign countries. I think it should be a limited numbe
of countries and countries that have shown positives drug research and abide by all standards according
to the FDA. I think that adding more and more countries to the list of importation can cause heightened
costs. FDA will already be overloaded with one country to ensure these pharmaceuticals match their
Australia and the United Kingdom have been added to the list of countries the government has
encouraged to research drug costs.
If the United States were to permit the importation of lower-cost pharmaceuticals from abroad, I
believe that allowing some pharmaceuticals versus others would have to be decided on a case-by-case
basis. For example, all pharmaceuticals imported will need to remain safe for consumer purchase. If a
pharmaceutical company has been or would show unsafe procedures these pharmaceutical companies
should not be allowed to import. The last thing the United States would want is unsafe drugs flowing
into our existing supply.
If pharmacies were allowed to import less costly drugs from abroad, I think regulations should
be put into effect to pass on cost savings to consumers. For example, selling directly to the consumer
without any middleman will need to be key in keeping the drug safe and protected from misuse and
tampering.
I believe that because of the increasing cost of already expensive prescription drugs, the country
needs to adapt to new laws and regulations to decrease costs for consumers. I believe that the United
States should legalize the importation of lower cost pharmaceuticals however there are many things to
consider and overcome before implementing. This will also ensure the seller is licensed to wholesale
drugs and abiding by meeting FDA guidelines.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/u-s-make-easier-import-prescription-drugs
https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2019/states-are-using-drug-importation-lower-costs-and-
provide-safe-access-drugs
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/10/01/2020-21522/importation-of-prescription-drugs