A Feb. 2020 poll found that 78% of Americans favor being allowed to import prescription drug from licensed Canadian pharmacies. The support crosses party lines with 75% of Democrats, 82% of Independents, and 75% of Republicans favoring importation.

According to several studies, importing drugs from Canada would lower prescription drug prices for Americans by about 28% to 35% of the prices in the US. Under current law, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has to certify that a drug is safe for importation. Four former FDA commissioners have voiced concerns about the government's ability to ensure the safety of imported drugs. A 2004 HHS report noted the risk that allowing the importation of drugs would harm pharmaceutical profits and result in less investment in the development of new drugs.

Source: Meredith Freed, Tricia Neuman, and Juliette Cubanski, "10 FAQs on Prescription Drug Importation," kff.org, Feb. 24, 2020