Oklahoma Mulls Drug Importation Amid FDA Concerns About R.I. Plan

Oklahoma has jumped on the drug importation bandwagon, announcing it is weighing a plan to allow its residents to buy prescription drugs from overseas. However, the move comes amid increased scrutiny from the FDA, which recently threatened to crack down on Rhode Island's importation plan.

Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry (D) recently unveiled his "Prescription for Savings" plan, which would be limited to importing U.S.-manufactured drugs that were first shipped to other countries. Henry's plan, which the state legislature is expected to take up this month, would require the foreign distributors of the U.S.-made products to be fully licensed and in compliance with the safety regulations of their own localities.

The Oklahoma plan also calls for the creation of a state website where residents could place orders for the drugs and have Oklahoma pharmacies import them to the U.S. In addition, the plan would create a "SmartCard," which would allow residents to take advantage of existing drug discount programs and eliminate paperwork.

Henry said he recognized that federal regulations might hinder the state efforts to address the issue. "But I believe we are morally obligated as public leaders to challenge the old way of doing things when it is obvious our healthcare system is seriously ill," he said in a statement, adding that other states have already examined safety concerns raised by the federal government and concluded that reimportation is safe and effective.

The FDA, however, has consistently disagreed with that safety assessment, including in a recent letter to the Rhode Island attorney general. Rhode Island last month implemented its innovative Rx importation law that allows Canadian pharmacies to obtain a Rhode Island pharmacy license and operate in the state as a nonresident pharmacy.