• April 23, 2004. Bipartisan drug import bill fixes exhaustion and contract barriers, runs afoul of FTAs and Hague Convention.
• April 14, 2004, Policy Issues Concerning Parallel Trade of Pharmaceutical Drugs in the United States, FDA Prescription Drug Importation Meeting.
• March 31, 2004 Legal and Policy Issues Concerning Parallel Trade (aka Re-Importation) Of Pharmaceutical Drugs in the United States
• March 30, 2004, CPTech statement to Members of Study Group on Enforcement of Judgments, Secretary of State Advisory Committee on Private International Law, regarding First Sale Doctrine (parallel trade, exhaustion of intellectual property rights).
• March 3, 2004, Comments on Maryland State Senate Bill 167.
  

• Page on various legislation from previous Congresses on this topic.

On January 10, 2007, Senators Dorgan and Snowe, and Representatives Jo Ann Emerson and Rahm Emanuel introduced The Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act, which would explicitly allow parallel imports of pharmaceuticals into the United States from Canada, and a handful of other developed countries. Similar legislation was passed by Congress last year, but was vetoed by President Bush. In respone, Canadian pharmacists have urged their health minister to ban exports to the United States - they predicct this will deplete the supply of drugs for Canadians.

• Government Documents
  • The Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act - Full Text of the Bill
  • January 10, 2007. Sen. Dorgan's press release. Reducing the Cost of Prescription Drugs.
  • January 10, 2007. Rep. Emanuel's press release. Significant Bipartisan Drug Importation Legislation Introduced in the Senate.

• NGO and Association Statements
  • American NGOs
    • January 10, 2007. American Association of Retired People. AARP Supports Bipartisan Rx Importation Bill.
  • Canadian Associations
    • January 12, 2007. Canadian Pharmacists' Assocation, Ontario Pharmacists' Association, Canadian Assoc for Pharmacy Distribution Management, and the Best Medicines Coalition. Open Letter to Minister Clement on Cross Border Drug Trade
    • January 12, 2007. Canadian Pharmacists' Association press release. U.S. Congress threatens Canada's prescription drug supply.
• News Stories
  • January 15, 2007. Reuters. Canada pharmacists seek ban on drug exports to U.S.
  • January 15, 2007. Gloria Galloway for the Globe and Mail. Druggists calling for ban on exports to U.S. - Groups warn of risk to Canadian supply.
  • January 15, 2007. Gloria Gonzalez for Business Insurance News. Pharmacy groups seek protection of drug supply.
  • January 15, 2007. CTV News. Pharmacists push to ban export of drugs to U.S.

• S. 2328 - Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of 2004
  • Press releases from Senators
    • Text of S. 2328.
    • April 22, 2004. Press release from Sen. Daschle's office. Daschle, Johnson Announce Breakthrough Bipartisan Deal on Prescription Drugs - Senators back landmark bill that would give consumers access to lower-priced medications.
    • April 21, 2004. Press release from Sen. Dorgan's office. Dorgan and Bi-Partisan Senate Group Inveil New Prescription Drug Re-Importation Bill.
    • April 21, 2004. Press release from Sen. McCain's office. Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug safety Act of 2004.
    • April 21, 2004. Press release from Sen. Snowe's office. Snowe Introduces Drug Reimportation Legislation Today: Joins Sens. Dorgan, McCain, Kennedy, Daschle, Lott, Stabenow.
    • April 21, 2004. Press release from Sen. Stabenow's office. U.S. Senator Stabenow Hails Bipartisan Reimportation Legislation as a ‘Major Bipartisan Breakthrough’ to Lowering Drug Prices.
  • June 14, 2004. Institute for Policy Innovation. Sen. Dorgan’s “Get Your Drugs from Who Knows Where Act.”
  • News Stories
    • April 22, 2004. Deborah Barfield Berry for Newsday. A big push for imports of drugs.
    • April 22, 2004. Demetri Sevastopulo and Christopher Bowe for the Financial Times. Senators unite on bill for cheaper medicines.
    • April 21, 2004. Associated Press. Senators Propose New Reimportation Bill.
    • April 21, 2004. Gannett News Service. Drug reimportation gets boost - Bipartisan bill to be introduced in Senate; veteran GOP senator now supports the idea.
    • April 21, 2004. Christopher Rowland for the Boston Globe. US Senate drug bill would set worldwide marketplace.
    • April 21, 2003. Klaus Marre for the Hill. Breakthrough’ seen on drug import bill - Bipartisan group agrees on language for Senate measure.
    • April 20, 2004. Reuters. US senators to unveil bipartisan drug import bill.

• S. 2307 - Reliable Entry for Medicines at Everyday Discounts through Importation with Effective Safeguards Act of 2004

  • Text of S. 2307.
  • April 8, 2004. Press release from Sen. Grassley's office. Grassley says it should be legal to buy prescription drugs from Canada - Senator sponsors bill to ensure safety of and timely access to lower-priced pharmaceuticals.
  • News Stories
    • April 9, 2004. Kaiser News. Sen. Grassley Introduces Legislation That Would Permit Purchase of Prescription Drugs From Canada.
    • April 8, 2004. Mark Sherman for the Associated Press. Senate Bill Would OK Medicine From Canada.

• H.R. 2427 - Pharmaceutical Market Access Act of 2003.

• State Government Documents

  • www.affordabledrugs.il.gov
  • August 17, 2004. Press release from the Office of Governor Blagojevich. Governor Blagojevich announces plan to make Illinois first state in the nation to provide consumers with access to prescription drugs from Canada, Ireland and the UK.

• News Stories

  • August 23, 2004. Medical News Today. Kerry Says Bush Has Changed Position on Reimportation of Drugs, States Own Support for Practice.
  • August 22, 2004. USA Today editorial. End to ban on reimported drugs is good medicine.
  • August 18, 2004. The Advocate. Illinois to launch drug reimportation program.
  • August 17, 2004. Don Babwin for the Associated Press. Illinois goes online to import prescription drugs
  • August 17, 2004. Marc Kaufman for the Washington Post. Illinois Governor Launching Program to Reimport Drugs.

• March 18, 2004. Federal Register Notice of FDA Public Meeting an Request for Public Comments on Prescription Drug Importation.

• Pages on Parallel Imports of Pharmaceuticals by Congressional Offices
  • Congressman Gil Gutknecht's Page on Access to Medicines in the U.S. Rep. Gutknecht is the author of the Pharmaceutical Market Access Act. Also, see the transcript of his debate Against Milton Friedman last January.
  • Senator Bernie Sander's Page on Prescription Drugs.

• April 8, 2004. Press release from the office of the Governor of Illinois. Gov. Blagojevich and Attorney General Madigan file Citizen’s Petition with FDA on behalf of Illinois prescription drug consumers, Demands response on drug importation.
  • April 9, 2004. Associated Press. Ill. pushes FDA on Canadian drugs.

• PhRMA Page on Reimportation.

• January 27, 2004. Transcript of debate between Milton Friedman, Rep. Gil Gutnechkt, Sally Pipes and Dan McCan on parallel imports of drugs from Canada. (The debate was hosted by Tech Central Station and moderated by James Glassman.)

• October 4, 2004. Op-ed by Rep. Debbie Stabenow in the Detroit Free Press. Legalizing importation of drugs will cut prices by up to 70%.
• August 11, 2004. Associated Press. Kerry Says Bush Is Blocking Drug Imports From Canada.
• May 4, 2004. Associated Press. Thompson: Legalized Drug Imports 'Coming'.
• April 27, 2004. Maureen O'Donnell for the Chicago Sun Times. Now working for drug companies, Giuliani questions imports' safety.
• April 15, 2004. Ceci Connolly for the Washington Post. Drug-Importation Foes Speak Out - Industry Backers Have Strong Voice At Public Session.
• March 31, 2004. Associated Press. Eli Lilly to Fight Drug Re-Importation.
• March 31. 2004. Geoff Earle for the Hill. Reimportation makes gains - Sen. Gregg working on bill that starts with Canada.
• March 19, 2004. Bill Mann for the Motely Fool. The Drug Reimportation Disaster.
• March 12, 2004. Robert Pear for the New York Times. Senator Lott Says He Will Back Drug Imports.
• March 9, 2004. Reuters. Medicare Pick McClellan Meets Resistance.
• March 9, 2004. Reuters. Daschle Says McClellan Must Back Drug Imports.
• March 9, 2004. Robert Pear for the New York Times. Medicare Nominee Backs Drug Imports.
• February 23, 2004. Roger Parloff for Fortune Magazine. The New Drug War - Pharmaceutical companies need profits to develop new drugs. Patients need pills that they can afford. Their interests are colliding at the Canadian border.
• April 22, 2003. Theresa Agovino for the Associated Press. AstraZeneca Seeks to Limit Canada Sales.
• March 21, 2003. FDA press release. FDA Collaborates with Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy in Enforcement Action Against Storefront Obtaining Unapproved Drugs from Canada.