Senator Lisa Murkowski Adds Name To Safe Drug Importation Bill
Co-Sponsors Gregg Legislation After Safety Concerns Are Met
Washington, D.C. - In her continued efforts to help safely reduce the rising cost of health care in Alaska, Senator Lisa Murkowski co-sponsored legislation that met her safety concerns to allow drug importation from Canada and other traditional European Union countries. The legislation, (S.2493) sponsored by Senator Judd Gregg, R-N.H., chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, allows the importation of drugs provided that the drugs imported are protected by basic safety standards to prevent drug counterfeiting or the loss of drug potency.
"Throughout the campaign, my opponents have intentionally misled people to believe that I was against helping to reduce the cost of prescription drugs through importation. This has never been the case. My concern all along has been that any drug importation is done in a safe way that protects the health of Americans. I feel that with the Gregg bill, we now have that safe legislation," Senator Murkowski said.
Murkowski noted that she had concerns with importation safety partly because of recent Senate testimony from the Federal Drug Administration (FDA). It was reported that 88 percent of the mail order products obtained by FDA "import blitzes" were unapproved or otherwise illegal. The packages contained prescription drugs that were never approved by the FDA, drugs with illegal labeling, drugs that were withdrawn from the market, or drugs that were controlled substances.
The Gregg bill helps solves this problem by setting up a statutory and regulatory structure to monitor internet pharmacies. The bill also requires documentation of uninterrupted chain of custody - from the original drug manufacturer to the foreign seller to prevent the introduction of counterfeit or out-of-date drugs.
Unlike a Democratic alternative proposed by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and supported by Tony Knowles, the Gregg bill will require that imported drugs to this country from Canada are:
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved drugs, manufactured in FDA approved facilities.
- Drugs from importers and exporters who are registered with the FDA.
- Individually labeled as imported drugs.
- If purchased over the internet, are from internet pharmacies that are licensed and strictly regulated.
- Drugs that are not controlled substances.
- Drugs that do not require refrigeration or are light sensitive.
"Combined with the new Medicare prescription drug benefit passed last year, the Republican majority is combating the high prices of health care in America and in Alaska, and I would hope that this chapter in the Knowles campaign of scare tactics and misinformation is now closed" Lisa said.