Sometimes I wonder if our opponents are aware of the realities – not the myths and misperceptions – around drug importation.
Not only can Americans import their personal prescriptions safely and affordably, millions of Americans are importing their medications and have been doing so for many years.
This is because they know – from friends and family members, their doctors, and their own personal experiences – that it is safe. In fact, in a recent national survey we asked people who import their medications if they would recommend it to family and friends in a recent survey and an astounding 97 percent of people answered positively because they know it is a safe option.
In fact, Roger Bate of the American Enterprise Institute conducted several discrete studies buying medicines online for nearly a decade and found that credentialed online pharmacies sell safe medicines, regardless of whether they come from the U.S. or overseas. Among the 275 samples bought from non-U.S. credentialed pharmacies, he found no fake medications and only one substandard medication. Compared to the 127 samples purchased from credentialed U.S. pharmacies, Bate found no fakes and also one substandard medication. (Source: American Enterprise Institute http://bit.ly/2u7Fxhn) We asked people who import their medications to compare what they would spend on their prescriptions in the U.S. to what they pay by purchasing them through a licensed online pharmacy in Canada. More than half of respondents (52 percent) report saving up to $199 monthly by ordering through an online pharmacy. Among people who save more than $300 per month (38 percent of respondents), the average savings that they report is a staggering $910.
There is no disagreement that safety must be the most important concern. It’s true that there are rogue pharmacies selling counterfeit medications, but if importation were legal then there would be approved websites reviewed and monitored by the Food and Drug Administration.
Contrary to widely-spread falsehoods by importation opponents, the safest drug is not always the most expensive drug. Manufacturers are located around the world and they produce medications distributed in the U.S. in different countries. The only difference is where the medications are sold, which determines the price.
It is widely known that the U.S. charges higher prices for medications compared to any other country in the world. Let’s not confuse the debate – we are talking about high drug prices here, not safety.
Millions of Americans have come to trust legitimate Canadian pharmacies for safe, affordable medications – this is not a matter of opinion, it is a fact.