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Member, Beacon International Group, Ltd.
PROVIDENCE, R.I.--A recently enacted law authorizing the Rhode Island Department of Health to license Canadian pharmacies to sell prescription drugs in the state "could violate federal laws," the state's attorney general says.
The law is problematic because it allows the Department of Health to license entities that violate a federal ban on the reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada, Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch said in a letter sent Monday to the department's director.
"Unfortunately, enabling an entity to violate federal laws and regulations is not good law enforcement policy," Mr. Lynch said. "It does not solve the real challenge of access to affordable prescription medications."
Mr. Lynch began an inquiry into the legality of the statute shortly after it was enacted in July.
Under federal law, reimportation of prescription drugs generally is allowed only by the original manufacturer.
Action at the federal level that would allow individual states to adopt their own drug reimportation programs would provide a solution, but until that happens, Canadian pharmacies must comply with federal laws that prohibit reimportation, Mr. Lynch said.