Drug safety and the FDA

The Senate’s passage of a drug-safety bill (May 10) expanding the authority of the Food and Drug Administration will benefit the public. Before passage, an unsuccessful effort for a provision allowing consumers to buy drugs from foreign sources produced contentious debate. Why? Such a provision would undermine the original intent of the bill: drug safety. When will politicians in Washington understand that foreign sources are not regulated by the FDA? Inspections of drug purchases made abroad have revealed dangerous bogus copies that place our prescription-drug supply chain in jeopardy.

WAYNE MURAMATSU

Cerritos

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Re “Senate blocks effort to allow drug imports,” May 8

Once again, Congress has demonstrated that big business owns it. This time, the pharmaceutical industry got its way again, prohibiting the import of prescription drugs from foreign countries. The poison pill added to this legislation was that the FDA would have to certify that all the imports are safe and effective. It can’t even do that for drugs made here.

STUART SINGER

Long Beach

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As a veteran, I have been purchasing my prescriptions through the Department of Veterans Affairs. It may come as a shock to Americans, who have been trying so desperately to obtain their drugs from outside the U.S., that some medications I receive from the government come from Canada. I have proof. Apparently, imported drugs from Canada are OK for veterans but not other Americans.

IRA S. GEWANT

Manhattan Beach