Prescription drug re-importation: a balanced look.

The rising cost of prescription drugs has decreased access for some older adults to purchase needed medications. For this reason, some older adults are purchasing prescriptions from foreign and Internet mail-order sites. There are two main concerns related to drug re-importation--price and safety. Therefore, should the federal government allow the re-importation of prescription drugs with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safeguards? This article presents some of the facts about this issue including the history, chronology, and stakeholders for and against drug re-importation. Implications of drug re-importation to older adults, nurses, and public health policy are given.