Ms. Cottrell said the trade association had not discussed the drug-import program with the administration since Mr. Clinton signed the bill. Aides to Senator James M. Jeffords, Republican of Vermont, said he would try to persuade the new administration to reverse the decision. It's now the Democrats who are blocking access to affordable prescription drugs. If the new administration reverses the Shalala position, Republicans will be the heroes. Representative Bernard Sanders, independent of Vermont, led efforts to allow more drug imports, saying they could reduce drug costs in the United States by 30 percent to 50 percent.
Individuals can still buy drugs from abroad.
Scores of consumers cross the border and buy medications in Canada or Mexico. Also, growing numbers of consumers buy drugs from foreign countries over the Internet. Federal officials have expressed concerns about both types of purchases, but they say that they generally do not challenge consumers importing small quantities of prescription drugs for personal use. Drug companies say they now have virtually complete control over the custody of prescription drugs, from the factory floor to the retail pharmacy. But after drugs leave the United States, they say, they cannot be sure of the conditions under which the drugs are stored and handled.