USA ends border seizures of mailed drugs

The US Customs and Border Protection agency has ceased the seizure of prescription drugs that are mailed from Canadian pharmacies to US residents, effective from October 9. The news comes shortly after the US Congress voted to authorize the transportation across the border of three months' supply of Canadian-supplied drugs per trip (Marketletter October 2).

The legislation excluded drug purchases via the Internet and where a Canadian doctor had not physically examined the patient, in addition to a US physician's prescription. However, the new development means the law enforcement effort will restrict itself to targeting counterfeit drugs.

An e-mail sent from the US Customs agency to some members of Congress said that blanket seizures would end on October 9 and that random packages would be examined for fake drugs. It appears that the move follows widespread criticism from pressure groups such as the American Association for Retired Persons that the seizure policy, which began in November last year, deprived "thousands of American seniors of their drugs" and protected the "high prices charged by US pharmaceutical companies," according to the Wall Street Journal.