Millions of Americans Look Outside U.S. for Drugs essay
Today Americans face a number of challenges concerning the purchase of prescription drugs. Because of the high costs of prescription drugs, Americans should be allowed to purchase prescription drugs legally from other countries that are currently illegal. It is very important to find the proper solution to the “unregulated and unsafe situation with drug imports that exists today” (Grassley says it should be legal to buy prescription drugs from Canada, 2004). The US legislation should be aimed at reflecting consumer demands for the purchase of lower-priced pharmaceuticals. These drugs can be available in Canada, the UK and other countries. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should not decline to take the proper action regarding this issue that may lead to legal certification of prescription drugs from Canada, the UK and other countries. Today patients in the U.S. have to “spend more on prescription drugs than any other country in the world, with an estimated $45 billion spent out-of-pocket by Americans last year” (The high cost of prescription drugs, 2013). Although the U.S. Congress has already passed the legislation to assist American patients aged 65 and older, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (Medicare Part D), the burden of high cost of prescription prices for the citizens of other age groups remains in place.
Some people believe it isn’t legal for Americans to have choice in the global free market to purchase their prescription drugs from where they want. They believe this decision would have negative impact on the U.S. economy. According to the director of the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, “although the U.S. law bans nearly all imports of foreign medications, Americans are bringing in those drugs in record numbers” (Flaherty & Gaul, 2003). This fact means many American citizens want to save their money, buying lower-priced prescription drugs in Mexico, Canada, the UK and other countries. As a result, the national drug distribution chain is being breached, exposing millions of consumers in the U.S. to certain risks. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration many medications that are brought in from other countries by the U.S. citizens and foreigners are considered to be illegal and some of them may be unsafe.
Nevertheless, the rising cost of prescription drugs has an enormous impact on those citizens who do not use health care programs, including moderate income Americans. Although many American citizens have health insurance, many policies are developed to cover only some small portion of a prescription’s price, while other policies do not cover some categories of drugs at all. Besides, many American citizens do not have health insurance policy. This fact means they have to pay full price for their prescription drugs. Today prices on prescription drugs are still high and some prices continue to rise.
Thus, it is necessary to conclude that the U.S. policy makers should research the major reasons of high costs of prescription drug and determine what routes should be taken to provide effective legislation and price regulation. The U.S. citizens should support their national economy. Besides, Americans should realize that prescription drugs bought in other countries may be unsafe. The U.S. policy makers should make prescription drugs more affordable.
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