Photo source: Consumer Reports
The notion of importing cheaper drugs from Canada is nothing new in American politics. In 2003, Congress passed the underlying legal framework to permit Canadian drug imports, and it subsists in American law today. Nor is it unique to one side of the political spectrum. Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders famously introduced “import from Canada” legislation as a solution to US drug woes, while similar bipartisan proposals have attracted prominent Republicans like John McCain.
Polls have shown a majority of Americans, regardless of party affiliation, support the idea. It has also caught on at the state level, with multiple states exploring the possibility of creating their own Canadian drug importation programs under the existing legal framework. Vermont became the first state to enact such a law earlier this year.
Read more: Canada must guard against unrestricted drug exports to the US
