Senator introduces act to allow reimportation of safe prescription drugs

U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) introduced new legislation on Friday that would allow for the reimportation of American-made, approved prescription medicine from other countries.

The  Safe and Affordable Prescription Drugs Act of 2015 would amend the current Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to allow American-made approved prescription drugs from Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Israel, South Africa and the European Union to be reimported to the United States.

“When safe and approved prescription drugs are within reach, it is basic common sense to give folks access to them,” Vitter said. “Reimporting cheaper prescription drugs from abroad will give patients – especially our seniors – relief from rising health care costs and a means to access the medicines they need but too often cannot afford.”

Vitter has made reimportation one of his signature reform efforts since his initial election into the Senate in 2004.