Senate passes reimportation bill

The Senate voted 86-8 to send agriculture appropriations legislation to President Clinton that includes provisions on the reimportation of drugs from Canada, the European Union and other countries. None of the eight Senators who voted against the bill cited opposition to drug reimports as a reason for their vote.

The White House said the President will sign the agricultural appropriations bill, although he has stated that the reimportation provisions have been watered down in ways that favor pharmaceutical companies. Biologics are specifically excluded from the bill. The spending bill includes $23 million for FDA to erect mechanisms to ensure the safety of imported medicines. The agency has stated that it will not be able to allow reimportation for at least two years following enactment of legislation. The bill sunsets five years after FDA begins to implement it. ...