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Drug Importation: Are the good deals a blessing or a burden?

Sometimes, US citizens are tempted to buy medications from foreign countries while on vacation. Some internet sites also offer tempting deals on normally expensive medications from overseas. The process of bringing medications from another country into the United States is called drug importation, and when an individual does this, it is illegal. Drugs sold in the United States are upheld to very strict regulations. When a medication is approved for sale in the United States, stringent standards are monitored including manufacturing conditions, active ingredients, inactive ingredients, formulation, storage, and appearance. Medications available elsewhere do not have such guidelines, making the final product somewhat of a mystery. The overriding concern and reason for the laws against drug importation is patient safety. Drugs bought in places other than the United States may pose a risk to people taking them for several reasons. Some of potential problems with imported medications include expired products, sub-potent or super-potent medications, un-approved drugs, contaminated products, or drugs that were not stored in appropriate conditions. A recent study conducted by the University of Arizona tested medications that were purchased in Mexico. Of the medications tested, 1/3 of the products were considered unsafe to take. Some of the antibiotics tested contained less than 10% of the stated product; if a critically ill patient were depending on that product, that patient could have died. Another reason why it may be unsafe to purchase medications on foreign soil is the lack of supervision from trained health care professionals. It is not likely that a physician is prescribing the medications, and it is unlikely that there is a trained pharmacist working in all foreign pharmacies. Patients who buy medications overseas may not find it necessary to keep in contact with their primary care physician for important exams. Patients also don’t have a trained pharmacist reviewing all of their medications and the likelihood of any harmful interactions is increased. Overall, when a tempting deal from a “farmacia” in Mexico comes along, or a website offers low prices on foreign drugs, patients should think twice, for both legal and health safety reasons.

“Love Thy Pharmacist: Prescription Drugs in Mexico Might Not Be What They Seen” Texas A&M Health Science Center, Diabetes Health Online, August 5, 2008.

“What Pharmacists Should Know about Drug Importation” The American Pharmacist Assosiation, October 1, 2003.

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