Would allowing importation result in lower prescription drug costs for American consumers?
There are varying opinions on this issue, but most experts caution that savings cannot be guaranteed, especially if importation is limited to only certain countries, such as Canada. 11 The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the agency responsible for estimating the financial impact of federal policy changes, concludes that the effect would be small. 12 It acknowledges that prices for drugs still under patent protections (as opposed to generic products) are 35 percent to 55 percent lower in other countries than in the U.S. However, it cautions that responses by foreign governments and by the pharmaceutical industry to such a change in policy could erode most savings. For example, foreign governments could restrict the supply of drugs leaving their borders; or pharmaceutical manufacturers could limit the supply of drugs sold to foreign nations that facilitate sales to U.S. purchasers. On the other hand, those who advocate in favor of allowing importation acknowledge that drug importation
