Canadian drugs: panacea or problem?

• Position: Trends and Transitions

Although at least 22 legislatures looked at more than 45 bills this session both for and against importation of prescription drugs, only one state and the District of Columbia has passed legislation as of early May.

West Virginia and the District of Columbia passed legislation in March to investigate the feasibility of purchasing prescription drugs from outside the country. A bill in Maryland that would have sought a waiver to "operate a program to purchase and import prescription drugs from Canada" passed both houses, but was killed in a procedural move at the end of the session.

Despite federal warnings, the governors of Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Wisconsin have created Web sites that direct residents to specific Canadian pharmacies where they can buy relatively cheap prescription drugs online.

None of the four states is making any direct drug purchases. Transactions are between individual citizens and the pharmacies. The states have taken the role of inspecting the pharmacies, providing the information and, in a few cases, negotiating lower prices. The Wisconsin Senate weighed in with a non-binding resolution to Congress urging legalization of imports, but has not acted on the governor's project.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that imported drugs could be tainted or counterfeit. Despite those cautions, the FDA...