Pharmaceutical industry officials have lobbied aggressively to defeat the legislation, which is attached to a 2001 funding bill for the Agriculture Department. The measure still could be removed during negotiations later this fall between House and Senate representatives. Even if it becomes law, it could take years before the measure is fully implemented. Sponsors acknowledge that they need to allocate money for the government to oversee the drug importing process. Federal bureaucrats need time to craft regulations to implement the measure.
Drug companies oppose the proposal on two fronts.
First, they say, it will open U.S. borders to counterfeit and unsafe drugs that could harm patients. By allowing cheaper drugs into this country, they add, their firms would collect less money for research and development into new drugs. They're arbitrary artificial cutoff points. Some health policy experts say the industry will have a tough time gaining support among the public. This issue resonates with voters because it strikes at their basic sense of fairness, they said.