Senate bill endorses Azar's call to allow drug imports

Bipartisan support for a Senate bill that seeks to allow drug importation to boost competition dovetails with HHS Secretary Alex Azar’s attempt to use imports to pop pricing bubbles of single source off-patent drugs.

Co-sponsors Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said the bill, introduced March 14, would give HHS the authority to expedite reviews and inspections and allow importation of drugs in old but non-competitive spaces. HHS's authority would be limited to instances when a drug has been on the market for more than 10 years and has fewer than five competitors, or in the case of a drug shortage...