The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has officially denied a petition from Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich for a pilot program to buy prescription drugs from Canada.
Blagojevich and officials in other states have been pushing the Bush administration to change its policy prohibiting Canadian drug imports in a bid to save the state money on drug costs.
The Food and Drug Administration, which is part of the Health and Human Services Department, opposes importation from Canada because it cannot guarantee the safety of the imported medicine, officials have said.
"Our review indicates that such state pilot projects are not authorized under current law and present added safety concerns," Lester Crawford, acting commissioner of the FDA, wrote in a letter to the governor's office.
Older Americans have flocked to Canada for prescription medications as drug prices in the United States have soared and fixed incomes have not kept up, advocates say.
Blagojevich has said the pilot project to purchase Canadian prescriptions for state employees and retirees would save the state $91 million.
