Imports from China

Even so, the problems involving heparin have again focused attention on the quality of products from China and the gaps in regulation by both the Chinese and United States governments. S.P.L.’s plant in Changzhou was certified by American officials to export to the United States even though neither government had inspected it. The plant has been exporting heparin to Baxter since 2004.
Like many chemical companies in China that make pharmaceutical ingredients for export, S.P.L. fell into a regulatory void. A spokesman for China’s State Food and Drug Administration, Shen Chen, said his agency had not inspected the S.P.L. factory because “as far as we know, it is not a drug manufacturer; it is a producer of chemical ingredients.” Mr. Shen said his agency was helping American investigators as part of a recent agreement with American regulators.

CANADIAN DRUG RE IMPORTATION

TSCL & Drug Reimportation
The implementation of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit led some in Congress to believe that the prescription drug situation was solved for most seniors. So, it became more difficult to garner support in Congress for reimportation bills at the end of the 109th session. However, the overall results of the Medicare Part D drug benefit have not yet been fully determined.
Simply put, pharmaceutical companies have been over-charging the American consumer for prescription drugs compared with costs for the same drugs in Canada and Europe. Pharmaceutical companies have made bulk deals with governments (such as Canada) where they still make substantial profits while charging much less for prescriptions.
TSCL believes that this is not a safety issue. Rather, it's an issue of pharmaceutical companies charging excessive prices in part due to their extraordinary clout and influence in the political process. TSCL supported bills in the House (H.R. 328) and Senate (S.334 and S.109) that would - in our view - make safe and secure prescription drug reimportation a reality.