TL;DR
Turn your wind-down time into listening time
- Thousands of audiobooks, podcasts and originals
- Listen on your phone, tablet or Echo — also offline
- Cancel anytime
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection rule scheduled to take effect Oct. 22 will suspend the under-$800 de minimis exemption for international mail, adding data and bond requirements. It does not single out Canadian medicines, but patients and import advocates warn it could make personal drug orders from Canada more difficult or costly; the scale of any impact is not yet known.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection rule scheduled to take effect Oct. 22 will suspend an exemption that let shipments valued below $800 pass through customs more easily, adding requirements that could disrupt medicines mailed from Canada to American patients. The rule applies to international mail broadly, not Canadian drugs alone, and officials have not said how often personal prescriptions will be delayed or refused.
Under the change described in the MedPage Today report, low-value shipments will face additional data requirements and a bond guarantee. The rule covers a range of imported goods, from textiles to toys, and is intended to collect tariffs and prevent illegal drugs from entering the United States. MedPage Today reports that medications mailed from outside the country will also face the new requirements.
The practical effect for prescription customers could include delays, refusals or more difficulty getting orders delivered, but the report does not establish that all Canadian pharmacy shipments will be blocked. A 2020 study published in JAMA Network Open estimated that about 2.3 million Americans buy drugs abroad; that figure is an estimate of overseas purchasing, not a count of people certain to be affected by this rule.
Ken Hunter, executive director of the Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation, cited his organization’s August comparison of 10 commonly imported medicines. For apixaban, sold as Eliquis, he said a three-month supply of 180 five-milligram pills cost $565 from a Canadian mail-order pharmacy, compared with about $1,017 through Amazon’s pharmacy and $1,029 through GoodRx. Those are prices Hunter cited; the report does not provide details about other costs, coverage, or whether every patient can obtain the same prices.
Patients Face Import Access Risks
For people who rely on imported medicines, the change could affect both continuity of treatment and household costs. Susan Hooper, a 75-year-old Toledo resident who uses oxygen and takes two daily medicines purchased from a Canadian pharmacy, told MedPage Today that one of her medicines is not available in the United States. She said the issue was “a matter of life and death for me.” Her account illustrates the stakes for some patients, but it does not establish how the rule will affect all users.
The concern also creates tension with the administration’s stated effort to lower prescription costs. White House spokesperson Allison Schuster said President Donald Trump remains committed to lowering drug prices, citing deals with pharmaceutical companies. Yet critics argue that general price initiatives may not cover every medicine or every patient. The specific consequence will depend on how customs requirements are applied and whether orders face added costs or interruptions.
The political response crosses party lines. More than 70 Democrats asked federal health and immigration enforcement officials to pause the rule unless they could assure access for medicines intended for personal use. Three Florida Republican lawmakers also raised concerns about effects on constituents who cannot readily travel to Canada. Their letters show pressure for safeguards, not a confirmed change to the policy.
Canadian prescription medication delivery
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How the Exemption Is Changing
The de minimis exemption previously allowed shipments valued below $800 to move through customs more easily and duty-free. The scheduled suspension is part of a broader federal approach to international shipments; it is not described as a policy written specifically for prescription drugs or Canada.
The debate comes as Trump has made drug prices a prominent part of his health-care agenda, including most-favored-nation agreements with drug companies and the TrumpRx discounted-drug website. Federal data cited in the report showed U.S. prescription drug prices were 3.1% lower than a year earlier during the summer, the steepest annual decline since 1963, according to that report. It also cautioned that experts see factors beyond the president’s policies as contributing to the drop.
Florida has received federal authorization for a state Canadian prescription drug importation program, but the report says that effort has stalled. The state program is distinct from individuals ordering medicines by mail, and its status does not resolve how the customs rule will affect personal shipments.
““The Trump administration continues working to ensure Americans have access to low-cost pharmaceuticals across the board.””
— Allison Schuster, White House spokesperson
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How Prescription Parcels Will Be Handled
The available reporting does not specify how customs officials will process individual prescription shipments, what added charges patients may face, or how many orders could be delayed, rejected or returned. It is also unclear whether the administration will change, withdraw or decline to enforce the rule, options the report says remain possible.
CBP representatives did not respond to MedPage Today’s requests for comment. The report’s source material ends while describing Hooper’s account of a price increase for theophylline, so it does not provide her updated price. Claims that the rule will cause costs to “explode” come from Hunter and his organization, rather than from an official forecast of the rule’s effects.
affordable prescription drugs from Canada
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Federal Guidance Before October 22
The rule is scheduled to take effect Oct. 22. Before then, the administration could alter or pause it, but the report does not identify a confirmed decision or a deadline for one. Lawmakers have asked federal agencies for assurances about personal-use prescription medicines; no response resolving those concerns is included in the report.
Patients and pharmacies will need clearer instructions on required shipment data, bond arrangements, and how customs will treat medicines intended for personal use. Until agencies clarify those details or announce a policy change, the extent of any disruption to Canadian medication orders remains unknown.
personal prescription importation kit
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What changes on Oct. 22?
The under-$800 de minimis exemption for international shipments is scheduled to be suspended. The report says medications mailed from outside the United States will face additional data requirements and a bond guarantee.
Does the rule specifically ban medicines from Canada?
No. The rule applies to international mail generally, not specifically to Canadian medicines. The report says it could make some orders more difficult to deliver, but does not establish a blanket ban.
How many Americans buy medicines abroad?
A 2020 JAMA Network Open study estimated that about 2.3 million Americans buy drugs abroad. That number is not an estimate of how many people will be affected by this customs change.
Could the administration still change the rule?
Yes. The report says the administration could drop the rule, alter it or decide not to enforce it. It does not report that any of those actions has been taken.
Source: rss
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
