(Fairfax, VA) - As the debate on decriminalizing the currently illegal importation of non-U.S. produced prescription drugs reaches critical mass in the Senate, several pro-illegal importation Members of Congress led by Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) are holding a press conference on April 29th urging the Senate to pass pro-importation legislation.

But Frontiers of Freedom Vice President of Policy Kerri Houston, believes that it is only a matter of time before the illegal importation of prescription drugs from foreign countries – including Canada – harms patients.

“These Members of Congress are knowingly ignoring documented safety problems in importing medications from foreign nations,” Houston states. “The overwhelming fallacy of the argument coming from the “cheap drugs are more important than safe drugs” crowd is centered on the false assertion that drugs coming back to the U.S. through internet websites were produced here, sold abroad, and then u-turned back into American medicine cabinets.”

“This is patently false, as many of these drugs are counterfeited under unsterile and dangerous conditions in third world nations, many with terrorist ties. Some “drugs” have active ingredients, some don’t, and consumers can’t tell the difference. Nearly two-thirds of drug websites purporting to be in Canada are not, and a recent trip to real Canadian facilities by the Minnesota Pharmacy Association revealed that even the pharmacies that actually are in Canada are rife with safety violations. A Hezbollah group has already been arrested by Canadian authorities smuggling medication into the U.S. – what might be next?”

Importation is opposed by eight physicians groups including the American Medical Association; 23 patient advocacy groups; 30 senior citizen organizations; 15 business associations including the Law Enforcement Association of American and Chamber of Commerce; 45 national and state-based think tanks; 56 healthcare stakeholders including the Canadian Pharmacist Association; 67 state healthcare, disease management and patient organizations; and Health Canada, the Canadian version of our FDA.

Houston concludes, “these 244 organizations, Presidents Clinton and Bush, the Justice Department, DEA, Customs, the last two FDA Commissioners and Secretaries of Health and Human Services and many responsible Members of Congress understand that importation is a tremendous threat to patient safety. How is it that these Members of Congress don’t?”