Rep. Ellison Introduces Personal Drug Importation Fairness Act

Press Release

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) introduced the Personal Drug Importation Fairness Act of 2013 (H.R. 3715), which gives access to safe, reasonably priced prescription drugs by allowing for the personal importation and reimportation of prescription drugs from countries with safety standards that are at least as strong as those of the United States.

"The Personal Drug Importation Fairness Act of 2013 will allow Americans to spend more time focusing on their health and less time worrying about how they'll pay for their prescriptions," Rep. Ellison said.

In 2011, seniors and millions of other Americans spent $45 billion in out-of-pocket costs alone for prescription medications. Last year, the US pharmaceutical industry was worth $359 billion. Oftentimes, people have to skip doses of their medications or forgo their prescriptions altogether. For years, people have traveled to other countries, like Canada, to buy their prescription drugs at more reasonable prices.

The Personal Drug Importation Fairness Act of 2013 allows Americans to buy prescription drugs from countries with a comparable safety standard the US or better, including Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, South Africa, and countries in the European Union. A purchase must be accompanied by a valid prescription for a supply not exceeding 90 days and must be dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. The prescription drug must have the same active ingredients, route of administration, and strength as an FDA-approved prescription drug.

Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) co-sponsored the legislation. SEIU and Alliance for Retired Americans support the bill.

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