U.S. To Stop Seizing Some Canadian Drugs
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
ORLANDO, Fla.—The federal government will stop seizing small amounts of lower-priced prescription medications mailed from Canada, officials said.
Since November 2005, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have seized prescription drugs that 40,000 Americans had ordered from Canada, Senator Nelson noted on Tuesday. The new policy, which takes effect October 9, was announced in an e-mail to congressional staff from the Department of Homeland Security on Monday, Mr. Nelson said.
A Customs spokeswoman, Lynn Hollinger, confirmed the policy change Tuesday, saying the agency would no longer intercept the drugs or issue letters to postal carriers indicating that it is illegal to import prescription medications. She said the policy change was due to political pressure from lawmakers and people who complained they were no longer receiving their medicine. Mr. Nelson said the new policy will allow Americans to import small amounts of prescription drugs — roughly a 90-day supply.
“It’s a great victory, particularly for the senior citizens who are having difficulty making financial ends meet in a time in which, sadly, some senior citizens have to make a decision between buying their prescription drugs and buying their groceries,” Mr. Nelson said.
The change means that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will resume oversight of the importation of prescription drugs. Before Customs took over enforcement, the FDA largely ignored the importation of small amounts of prescription drugs.
