Thad Cochran: “Improving the health and quality of life for Americans is very important to all of us, and access to safe and effective…”

“Improving the health and quality of life for Americans is very important to all of us, and access to safe and effective prescription drugs is a major step in accomplishing these goals. With recent scientific advances, a number of medical therapies have been made available to treat and, in some cases, to cure diseases. We want Americans to continue to have access to safe and effective drugs that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration. But we must not create opportunities for potentially dangerous drug products from foreign countries to reach the American consumer. For example, counterfeit products, those that have been tampered with or those of unknown origin, should not be brought into this country. I am concerned that allowing the importation of prescription drugs would allow such risks to become more likely. The amendment proposed by the Senator from North Dakota will put in jeopardy the process we now have to ensure the safety of prescription medications and protect the health of the American people.”