Prescription drugs

RajaKonar

quote from Customs and Border Protection
"...the FDA does not allow the importation of prescription drugs that were purchased outside the United States"

protectionism. you pay more to US pharmaceutical companies in order to protect their interests. The big companies like Roche and Pfizer are on record paying off members of the Exec including Bush to protect their interests.

Brisso

How is importation defined? Would not have thought that an individual's meds would constitute "importation". Besides, how many people have their meds checked at customs? Never happened to me ...

the opoponax

I would guess there would have to be something conspicuous. For instance traveling with a large quantity of medications which are available by prescription only in the US, which you do not have a prescription for, and which are commonly abused. One package of pills would probably escape unnoticed. But a suitcase half full of Vicodin? Yeah, right...

However, all this nonimportation stuff is generally much more important at overland entry points to Canada and Mexico. Because very few people are going to do prescription drug runs to places like India when they could get the same thing just as cheap in Mexico, and almost as cheap and much more reliable in Canada.

I would also guess that drugs that are off the market or not approved in the US raise more red flags than something you could get easily at home. For instance cold medicines with pseudoephedrine, which are commonly used to make crystal meth. Most cold medicines sold in the US no longer contain that particular ingredient, so somebody bringing in large quantities of drugs known to contain it is probably going to raise red flags.

RajaKonar

from the Oxford English Dictionary

import

• verb 1 bring (goods or services) into a country from abroad.



Let's not biccar - I've answered the original question of the post.

Brisso

Think FDA prohibition relates to commercial enterprises ...

I would imagine as a matter of right and international convention any individual is entitled to be in possession of the medications essential for their health and wellbeing - backed by a legally obtained prescription, reasonable quantities can't be a problem ...

the opoponax

Actually, it is illegal in the US to bring prescription meds from overseas.

You can, of course, bring back the meds you brought with you in the first place. And again, nobody's likely to quibble with a small amount clearly meant for personal use, which you have the prescriptions for.

At the small-time level, it's kind of like pirating music or speeding or something -- it's illegal, but you're unlikely to actually be caught at it if you do it in moderation, because they can't search every single bag and get the provenance on every single pill. But it's still illegal, and if your bag is searched and you have a lot of potentially sensitive stuff without prescriptions, it will at least be confiscated.

edwardseco

Funny me, unlike mastercrook, I brought in tons of Ayurvedic medicines and forgot about the recreational/resale ones. But, if he is caught its an old story, on your record. I just declined to interview someone with a record. Sorry, not around kids. Of course, 40% of them have taken such and 20% (my estimate) are on such currently. Makes for the high life in class..

Dilliwala

Just saw this thread:

IT IS??
Dang, and I always thought it was made up in India. Like 'prepone'.
It's certainly only used in this country (and neighbouring ones), I'll be willing to bet.
Ok, - I'll pop back out now.

Seems the OP got scared off by all this talk of illegality; he DID make it clear that he did "not want to break any US laws."

Nick-H

News item spotted and vaguely remembered from sometime last week:

A couple of Indian docs get long (like 30 years?) prison sentences in USA for peddling cheap imported viagra etc and selling it online.

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Dilliwala

One doc got 30 years for selling meds smuggled in from India thru his internet store. What I cudn't understand is how he managed to smuggle in 11 million pills in the first place.

edwardseco

11 million, whoopie. Down in TJ, on the Mexicano side the pharmacies sell all this stuff without prescription and then turn the person in to the policia who arrest the suckers..

capt_mahajan

That deal must be a part of Nafta

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Indiamike moderating team ..ich bin ein oneliner

edwardseco

Or Grafta..

edwardseco

Right below today is an add for CanadaDrugs!!

Nick-H

The wonderous ways of Big Brother.

...I mean, Google!