10. The main reason the FDA opposes drug imports from Canada is because they are concerned about the safety of U.S. citizens.

• Forty (40) percent of the prescription drugs Americans consume come from overseas. Present law allows pharmaceutical manufacturers to import, but not wholesalers or pharmacists, stifling competition. (The Springfield News-Leader ? May 15, 2005)


• The FDA has licensed pharmaceutical production facilities in Romania, Norway, Bulgaria, South Africa, Argentina and China (not to mention the tiny island nation of Niue). The practice is tantamount to outsourcing. (The Springfield News-Leader ? May 15, 2005)


• The FDA says plans to let government employees and retirees purchase their prescription medication from Canadian pharmacies is risky because imported drugs bypass U.S. regulatory controls designed to ensure drug safety and quality. (The Boston Herald – August 4, 2004)


• The FDA contends it is looking out for consumer safety by opposing drug imports, but in fact a growing volume of prescription drugs sold in the U.S. are made overseas and brought in by domestic manufacturers. (Time – February 2004)


• Dr. David Graham, a Food and Drug Administration Scientist testified that the FDA ignored his warnings about the drug Vioxx and attempted to suppress the results of his investigations. (November 25, 2004 - Los Angeles Times)


• U.S. surveys found that 1 out of 4 seniors must often choose between buying necessary medications and paying for other staples like food and rent. (U.S. Newswire August 26, 2004)


• The number of Americans without health insurance rose for a third straight year in 2003, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Thursday, August 26, 2004. (Detroit Free Press August 27, 2004)


• Twenty-seven percent of women under the Medicare age of 65 told Kaiser Family Foundation, a health-advocacy group that they'd skipped or delayed care that they thought they needed in the prior year. Among uninsured women, the figure soared to two-thirds. One-fifth of all women said they hadn't bought at least one prescribed drug because they felt they couldn't afford it. (July 8, 2005 - Arizona Central)


• The FDA says plans to let government employees and retirees purchase their prescription medication from Canadian pharmacies is risky because imported drugs bypass U.S. regulatory controls designed to ensure drug safety and quality. (The Boston Herald August 4, 2004)


• The FDA contends it is looking out for consumer safety by opposing drug imports, but in fact a growing volume of prescription drugs sold in the U.S. are made overseas and brought in by domestic manufacturers. (Time February 2004)


• The FDA has performed several blitz inspections of medicine being imported from Canada, a TIME investigation suggests the FDA's actions against Canadian imports have been part of a concerted campaign to simultaneously discredit its counterpart agency in Canada, provoke fear among American consumers who buy their drugs there, blunt an exploding political movement along local and state governments to begin wholesale drug buys in Canada and ultimately preserve the inflated prices charged US consumers and taxpayers. (Time February 2004)


• With the FDA's approval process, it takes 20 months for a generic drug to gain approval. It takes 15 months for a brand-name drug and six months for priority drugs. Furthermore, 93% of generic applications fail on first FDA review. (Journal Record Oklahoma City July 16, 2004)
• Although the Food and Drug Administration has mostly ignored U.S. citizens who illegally cross the border with personal supplies of Canadian medications, it has sided with drug makers on the safety issue. (Kiplinger.com August 8, 2004)


• "Importation is a gimmick. It's not a long-term solution to a problem. It's illegal and unsafe. Said Peter Pitts associate commissioner for external relations for the FDA. (December 23, 2004)


• "The FDA's responsibility is patient safety. They should not be commenting on profit margins or research costs. They're very political, they're heavily influenced by the pharmaceutical industry and I think they're stepping outside their bounds. Why is the FDA coming to Canada to get Canada to do their work?" says Andy Troszok of the Canadian International Pharmacy Association.

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