Importing Pharmaceutical Drugs

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the debate over loosening regulations on the import of foreign drugs into the United States. It discusses the high cost of many drugs in the United States and the issues of regulating drugs that are manufactured overseas. The paper then discusses ways that the problems of drug regulation can be overcome, by comparing it to the successful regulation of other industries that are responsible for safeguarding the public's health.

Table of Contents:
1.1 Introduction
2.1 Opposition To Wider Importation: Ineffective Drugs
2.2 Opposition To Wider Importation: The Canada Problem
3.1 Arguments For Importation: Solutions From Other Industries
3.2 Arguments For Importation: Controlling The Black Market
4.1 Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The notion that quality cannot be controlled if the pharmaceuticals are manufactured in foreign countries rings a bit hollow, as other industries that are responsible for safeguarding the public's health have successfully overcome the same problem. For example, the water treatment and food processing industries, like many industries where poor quality could negatively impact the public health, have both heavily exported equipment and materials from Asian countries (Cupp, 2005)."
"The fact is that both the water treatment and food processing markets have created global standards that are enforced by a variety of certification bodies. Entities such as NSF (formerly the National Sanitation Foundation) and Underwriters Laboratories have certification programs that manufacturing entities around the world must apply to join. The organizations will visit a firm's manufacturing facilities, no matter where they are, and rigorously inspect the process and test the firm's products and processes at regular intervals (About NSF). When you see the NSF mark on commercial, residential or municipal water filters or on commercial or residential food processing equipment, you can be certain that the parent company has undergone this rigorous process."

Sample of Sources Used:

• About NSF (No Date). Retrieved Sept. 16, 2006 from http://www.nsf.com/business/about_NSF.
• Cupp, Tricia (2005). In the Spotlight: Rod Carmer. Retrieved Sept. 15, 2006 from http://www.watertechonline.com/article.asp?indexid=6635178.
• FDA Operation Reveals Many Drugs Promoted as "Canadian" Products Really Originate From Other Countries (2005). Retrieved Sept. 15, 2006 from http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2005/NEW01277.html.
• FDA Takes Action Against Company for Illegal Importation of Unapproved, Potentially Unsafe Drugs (2004). Retrieved Sept. 16, 2006 from http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2004/NEW01142.html.
• FDA Test Results of Prescription Drugs from Bogus Canadian Website Show All Products Are Fake and Substandard (2004). Retrieved Sept. 15, 2006 from http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2004/NEW01087.html.

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