Collins, King, Colleagues Support Safe Importation of Prescription Drugs from Canada

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) encouraging the agency to support policies that will allow Americans to personally import certain prescription drugs from Canada. 

“Americans, on average, pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world and are struggling to afford the medications they need,” the Senators wrote. “Last year, one in three Americans saw their out-of-pocket medication costs increase, and that has real consequences. Nearly 30 percent of adults report not taking their medicines as prescribed because of the cost.”

“Americans should be able to obtain affordable medications, and expanding access to safe and affordable drugs in Canada can make a difference by providing direct relief to the millions of Americans who are struggling to afford the increasing cost of prescription drugs,” the Senators continued.

In February, Senators Collins and King co-sponsored the Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act, which would permit personal importation of certain prescription drugs from approved Canadian pharmacies. In the letter, the senators urged HHS to back their legislation in order to save consumers money and bring greater competition into the pharmaceutical market. 

The letter follows the administration’s recent Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, which recognized that prescription drug prices can be lowered through allowing states and tribes to safely import less expensive drugs from Canada.

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