House passes reimportation bill

The U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday passed by a vote of 340-75 an agriculture appropriations bill that included provisions relaxing restrictions on imports of FDA-approved pharmaceuticals. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill within 24 hours.

The reimportation measure is intended to lower prices by allowing pharmacists and wholesalers to purchase drugs in countries that control prices. The bill allows imports from the European Economic Area, Canada, and several other countries. It does not apply to Mexico. ...