Bill · S. 641· Senate(119-S-641)
Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 2/19/2025
- Last activity
- 2/19/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Amy Klobuchar
- Cosponsors
- - 5 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act of 2025 seeks to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. This change would allow individuals to personally import certain prescription drugs from approved pharmacies located in Canada. The bill requires the Secretary to create regulations for this process within 180 days of enactment. To be eligible, drugs must be for personal use, not for resale, and limited to a 90-day supply. The bill also establishes specific certification requirements for Canadian pharmacies to ensure they meet certain safety and operational standards.
Yes· 3 of 8
Does this lower the price of prescription medicines?+7
The bill allows individuals to import certain prescription drugs from Canada, which is intended to provide more affordable options.
Does this make health care easier to get in general?+5
By allowing personal importation of medications, the bill expands the ways individuals can obtain necessary prescription drugs.
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?+5
The bill requires the Secretary to certify that Canadian pharmacies meet specific safety, quality assurance, and compliance standards.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Access to prescription drugs: Individuals may be able to import prescription drugs that are safe and affordable from approved Canadian pharmacies (Section 2, subsection a and b).
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Consumer protection through standards: The bill requires the Secretary to certify that pharmacies have established processes to comply with laws, participate in quality assurance programs like blind testing, and use approved laboratories for product testing (Section 2, subsection c, paragraph 3).
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Transparency for consumers: The Secretary is tasked with publishing a list of approved Canadian pharmacies, including their website addresses, on the FDA website to assist individuals in their purchases (Section 2, subsection c, paragraph 2).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Limitations on drug types: Certain groups of people will not be able to use this program because the bill excludes controlled substances, biological products, infused drugs, intravenously injected drugs, drugs inhaled during surgery, parenteral drugs, certain biotechnology-manufactured drugs, drugs requiring refrigeration, and photoreactive drugs (Section 2, subsection b, paragraph 2).
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Restrictions on quantity: Individuals cannot import large amounts at once, as the law limits purchases to a maximum of a 90-day supply (Section 2, subsection b, paragraph 1, subparagraph C).
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Restrictions on usage: The program is strictly for personal use and cannot be used for the purpose of reselling products (Section 2, subsection b, paragraph 1, subparagraph C).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Middle Class Households+4Good For Seniors+4Good For Low Income Households+3Good For People With Disabilities+2
- Healthcare
- Reduces Prescription Drug Costs+7Improves Healthcare Access+5
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+5
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+2
- 2/19/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 7 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
Tammy BaldwinDemocrat · Wisconsin
Chuck GrassleyRepublican · Iowa
Angus KingIndependent · Maine
Jeff MerkleyDemocrat · Oregon
Jeanne ShaheenDemocrat · New Hampshire
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont
Sheldon WhitehouseDemocrat · Rhode Island