Drug Importation: Are the good deals a blessing or a burden?
Sometimes, US citizens are tempted to buy medications from foreign countries while on vacation. Some internet sites also offer tempting deals on normally expensive medications from overseas. The process of bringing medications from another country into the United States is called drug importation, and when an individual does this, it is illegal. Drugs sold in the United States are upheld to very strict regulations. When a medication is approved for sale in the United States, stringent standards are monitored including manufacturing conditions, active ingredients, inactive ingredients, formulation, storage, and appearance. Medications available elsewhere do not have such guidelines, making the final product somewhat of a mystery. The overriding concern and reason for the laws against drug importation is patient safety. Drugs bought in places other than the United States may pose a risk to people taking them for several reasons. Some of potential problems with imported medications includ
