US House "yes" and "no" to Rx re-imports

The US House of Representatives has rejected a bill to let companiesre-import back into the USA Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs from overseas, but has also approved mail-order purchases of such products from abroad by individuals for their own use.

The House voted 267-159 against an amendment to the fiscal 2002 spending bill of the Department of Agriculture and the FDA, proposed by Vermont Independent Representative Bernie Sanders, to allow companies to re-import. Last year, it backed a similar bill from Rep Sanders by 363 votes to 12. The "personal use" amendment to the spending bill, from Republican Representative Gil Gutknecht, passed on a 324-101 vote.

The votes came a day after Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson reaffirmed the opinion of his predecessor in the Clinton administration, Donna Shalala, that the re-import law could not be implemented because guarantees that it would lower prices to consumers and protect the safety of the drug supply could not be given (Marketletters January 1 & 8 and July 16).