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Undaunted by FDA threats against reimportation companies
WASHINGTON-Officials for two U.S cities that are currently reimporting prescription drugs from Canada have vowed to continue despite the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's latest efforts to curb the practice.
In the past six months, the FDA has taken action against at least five companies the agency believes are violating federal law by facilitating the reimportation of prescription drugs on behalf of local municipalities. For example, the FDA recently sent a letter to the companies that manage the reimportation program of Montgomery, Ala., accusing them of facilitating illegal imports of prescription drugs and misleading the public about the safety of these drugs.
Under the U.S. Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, it is illegal for anyone other than the original manufacturer to reimport prescription drugs into the United States. Several U.S. state and local governments have been pushing to change the law, and Congress recently passed a measure allowing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue waivers to individuals for drug reimportation, but only if safety standards are met.
The FDA is aggressively pursuing enforcement actions against several companies for alleged violations of the act and is promising more actions to follow, said William Hubbard, associate commissioner with the office of the commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Washington.
"We've got...