New federal rules will block Americans from importing cheaper medications from Canada

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Grant Stephens covers downtown Kansas City, Missouri. He also focuses on stories of consumer interest. Share your story idea with Grant.

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Many Americans have relied on foreign mail-order pharmacies — particularly Canadian ones — to reduce the cost of daily medications. That option is going away for many in October.

New federal enforcement tied to import rules overseen by the Food and Drug Administration and Customs and Border Protection takes effect Oct. 22. Under the new restrictions, medications will no longer be allowed to be shipped into the U.S. from outside the country if those same drugs are already available here — regardless of the price difference.

Technically, most Americans have never been allowed to routinely import prescription drugs for personal use, but for years, federal regulators largely exercised discretion at the border, allowing many small shipments from licensed Canadian pharmacies to pass through without enforcement.

Tim and Jan Brooks are among the millions of Americans who have relied on that arrangement. The couple recently received notice from their Canadian pharmacy that the new rules would end their ability to order medications from outside the country.

Grant Stephens

"That will eliminate pretty much all medicines, medications coming in from outside the country," Tim Brooks said.

The couple says ordering from a Canadian pharmacy made expensive prescriptions manageable.

"We can get about three months' worth of medication for approximately the same cost as one month here," Jan Brooks said.

Tim takes Eliquis, a common blood thinner. Buying it locally can cost more than $200 a month. Through a Canadian pharmacy, they were paying about that much for three months.

Grant Stephens

For millions of Americans — estimates range from two to four million people — the new restrictions could mean dramatically higher costs overnight.

"That's a significant difference. That's a big chunk of the budget that now has to go to something else," Jan Brooks said.

Jan says the impact will extend well beyond their household.

"There's a lot of people that cannot adjust their budget. This is going to put a significant burden on them," she said.

Grant Stephens

Supporters of the policy say it protects American drug manufacturing and ensures tighter oversight of imported medications. But critics argue it highlights a bigger issue — why many Americans feel forced to look outside the country for affordable medicine in the first place.

"The pharmaceutical companies can charge as much as the market will bear. There's something ethically wrong with that." Tim Brooks said.

A survey conducted by the Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation found that 89% of people importing medications from foreign pharmacies were over the age of 65, meaning the new rules are expected to impact older Americans the most.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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