Grassley bill would legalize Canadian drug imports

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced legislation that would immediately legalize importation of prescription drugs from Canada and set a 90-day deadline for the Food and Drug Administration to establish a system for registering and inspecting Canadian suppliers. With the system in place, it would only be legal to purchase from FDA-approved companies. After two years, consumers also would be allowed to buy FDA-approved prescription drugs from Australia, Japan and the European Union. It would continue to be illegal to import certain drugs, such as addictive painkillers. The bill also would sanction drug companies that cut off supplies to Canada by taking away their tax deduction for advertising costs. Read a Modern Healthcare Web exclusive on the debate over importing prescription drugs. -- by Tony Fong