The latest from DTC Perspectives

Reimportation Bill Fails in Senate

This week, the Senate voted down the much debated reimportation bill proposed by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and supported by Sen. John McCain (R, Ariz.).  The vote, which actually went 51-48 in favor of the bill, failed because it required at least 60 votes in order to be adopted. 

Many believe the bill failed because it threatened Washington's $80 billion truce with the pharmaceutical industry brokered last June with the Baucus Bill. 

Sen. Dorgan told reporters after the voting, "The drug industry has a lot of clout in this town, and they demonstrated that tonight. This is not over."

The Pharmaceutical industry had been widely opposed to the reimportation bill, believing that reimportation could bring new safety concerns.  Of course, reimportation would also severely hurt revenues for the industry.   

Meanwhile, Ken Johnson, Senior Vice President of PhRMA reacted favorably to the bill's failure in a statement noting, “We believe that if health reform is done in a smart way, prescription drug importation is not necessary because most Americans will finally have health insurance and access to safe and secure prescription medicines."

Another bill, similar to Sen. Dorgan's, that would have allowed drug reimportation for drugs cleared by the FDA, also failed to garner approval in the Senate earning a 56-43 vote and again falling short of the necessary 60 votes.