WASHINGTON — Millions of Americans who buy cheaper prescription drugs from Canada could lose easy access when a federal customs rule takes effect later this month, The Associated Press reported.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection rule suspends the de minimis exemption, which let shipments valued under $800 pass through customs more easily. As of Oct. 22, medications mailed from outside the U.S. will require additional data and a bond guarantee, according to the AP.
The rule covers many kinds of low-value goods and is meant to collect tariffs and stop illegal drugs. But critics say patients could face delays, refusals or other trouble getting medicine. About 2.3 million Americans buy drugs abroad, according to a 2020 JAMA Network study.
“The issue is a matter of life and death for me,” said Susan Hooper, 75, of Toledo, Ohio, who has been on oxygen for 14 years and buys two daily medications through a Canadian pharmacy.
Ken Hunter of the Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation said his group studied 10 common medications imported from Canada. A three-month supply of the blood thinner Eliquis costs $565 from a Canadian mail-order pharmacy compared with roughly $1,017 from Amazon’s pharmacy, he said.
The change has drawn opposition from Democrats and some Republicans. The Trump administration has made lowering drug prices a priority, including most-favored-nation deals with drugmakers and the TrumpRx website, the AP reported.
Sources: KTAR News/AP. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: C. Todd Lopez / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
