Florida Lawmakers Warn of New Drug Rule Risks
News related to:Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation (CPPI) · 2 min read
Congress Warns New Oct. 22 CBP Mail Rule Could Cut Off Patients Who Rely on Licensed Canadian Pharmacies for Critical Daily Medications
The Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation (CPPI), a national nonprofit patient advocacy organization, has applauded bipartisan Florida lawmakers for pressing federal agencies to protect access to safe and affordable prescription drugs. The lawmakers, including Republican Reps. Aaron Bean (FL-04), Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), and C. Scott Franklin (FL-18), along with Democratic Reps. Lois Frankel (FL-22), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24), have warned that a new Customs and Border Protection (CBP) mail rule will cut off patients who rely on licensed Canadian pharmacies for their daily medications.
The new rule, which will take effect on October 22, will require all personal prescription shipments from abroad to undergo a burdensome, formal customs entry process, filed by a licensed customs broker and backed by an exorbitant financial guarantee. This change will make it nearly impossible for Floridians and other Americans to continue ordering their prescriptions from trusted Canadian pharmacies, which have provided a vital lifeline for many individuals who cannot afford the high U.S. retail prices of medications.
The lawmakers wrote to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott, and Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas, expressing their concerns.
The lawmakers noted that Americans in border states can travel to licensed pharmacies abroad, but Floridians must rely on mail-order pharmacies to access the same lower-cost options. They asked the agencies to ensure that the rule does not affect Americans' ability to order personal-use prescriptions from licensed international pharmacies for mail delivery. They also inquired whether the agencies had changed their 2006 policy of not blocking these personal shipments.
In response, the Republican letter was sent to the four officials, while the Democratic letter was sent to the same four officials by a group of 71 House Democrats, including Reps. Mark Pocan (WI-02) and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09). The Democrats urged the agencies to delay the new procedures for prescription medicines unless they could provide clear assurances that personal-use prescriptions that do not appear to present an unreasonable risk will still be allowed into the country.
The Republican letter is available here. The Democratic letter is available here.
CPPI, which has been advocating for Americans' access to safe and affordable prescription medications from Canada for personal use, is grateful for the bipartisan support from Florida lawmakers. The group's Executive Director, Ken Hunter, emphasized the importance of protecting access to these medications, which have been a crucial resource for many Americans, especially the elderly and those with limited financial resources.