US Senators reintroduce bill to allow cheaper drug imports from Canada

US Senators Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, Minnesota) and John McCain (Republican, Arizona) last week resumed their fight to reduce prescription drug costs for American families.

The senators reintroduced their bipartisan drug importation legislation, the Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act, that would allow individuals to safely import prescription drugs from Canada, creating major savings for consumers and bringing greater competition into the pharmaceutical market. In 2013, average prescription drug prices were twice as expensive in the USA as they were in Canada, with high costs leading some Americans to skip doses or forgo filling important prescriptions altogether.

“Like many other Americans, far too many Arizonans have been burdened by the rising cost of prescription medication,” said Sen McCain, adding: “No American should have to worry about having to fill a prescription because they can’t afford to pay for it. This legislation would allow individuals to safely import prescription drugs into the United States from our neighbors to the north, spur much-needed competition in the pharmaceutical market, and save individual Americans up to hundreds of dollars a year.”