Senators Klobuchar & Grassley Introduce Bill to Ensure Americans Access to Affordable, Critical Daily Medications
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation (CPPI) released a statement endorsing the “Safe and Affordable Drugs From Canada Act of 2024 (S. 4918),” introduced by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA). The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Angus King (I-ME), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
“Expanding access to imported medicines for personal use through the ‘Safe and Affordable Drugs From Canada Act’ saves American lives, as more than one hundred thousand CPPI Members can attest,” says Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation (CPPI) executive director, Jack Pfeiffer. “CPPI applauds Senators Amy Klobuchar and Chuck Grassley for their long-standing commitment to allow for the safe importation of less expensive medicines from Canada. This key legislation would ensure Americans have access to life-saving drugs at a fraction of the cost through personal importation.”
CPPI Member Testimonials:
“I have had type 2 diabetes for approximately 15 years. I was switched to the Jardiance medication about 2 years ago for my diabetes treatment. When I ordered my first prescription from Walgreens in Rosemount, MN, a 3-month supply cost over $1,600 for 10 MG pills. I canceled the order and did not pay for it. However, the drug worked so much better at lowering my blood sugar levels, I knew I needed to keep using it. So, I went online and found out about Canadian pharmacies. They delivered the same drug Jardiance, and they'll save me $6,000 a year for this medication alone. This bill to ensure Americans can import medicine from Canada can save lives.” - CPPI Member, William Lesher, Rosemont, MN
“I am required to take a heart medication to control my rare heart arrhythmia. Ordering my medication from Canada at an affordable price allowed me to return to being a functioning member of society. We need Congress to pass this bill and ensure all Americans can access critical medicines.” - CPPI Member, Debbie Kahrs, RN, Norwalk, IA
For over a decade, the Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act has been championed by Senators Klobuchar and Grassley. The American public has long supported prescription importation from Canada as a solution to high drug costs in the U.S. 2019 Kaiser Family Foundation polling found 78% of the public favors allowing Americans to buy prescription drugs imported from licensed Canadian pharmacies. This proposal has broad support across party lines – 75% of Democrats, 82% of Independents, and 75% of Republicans. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, approximately five million Americans import their medications due to high costs.
Current law allows personal importation of prescription drugs on a case-by-case basis, and directs the FDA to exercise discretion in permitting personal importation of drugs when the product is “clearly for personal use, and does not appear to present an unreasonable risk to the user.” Licensed Canadian pharmacies, ship products to Americans through the postal service and help patients, mostly seniors, obtain affordable medications for their chronic conditions such as COPD, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Price comparisons demonstrate that identical medications from Canada cost up to 90 percent less than the price charged in the United States, with the top 60 drugs sold in America costing nearly four times as much as Canada. Recent surveys reveal that more than one-third of Americans do not fill their prescriptions due to cost. Meanwhile, Americans who import their medications report saving an average of $4,920 a year.
“It’s time now for Congress and the Administration to deliver immediate relief to American patients and advance personal prescription importation,” says CPPI Executive Director Jack Pfeiffer.
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