Potential Health Plan Liability for Participation in Prescription Drug Importation Programs

According to a recent report issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Task Force on Prescription Drug Importation (HHS Task Force Report), nearly 5 million shipments of unapproved prescription drugs entered the U.S. in 2003 from Canada through Internet sales and from travel to Canada by American consumers.1 Astonishingly, these unapproved shipments comprised roughly 12 million prescription drug products valued at nearly $700 million. And, the HHS Task Force Report estimates that an equivalent amount (or approximately another 12 million) of prescription drugs have entered the U.S. from other countries, mostly through the mail and courier services.2