In order for any importation plan to go into effect, the HHS Secretary must certify that it meets the safety and cost saving requirements set forth in Section 804 of the FD&C Act. This additional requirement elevates the status of the crime and makes it a felony. If your report involves a limited emergency situation (which is urgent but not life-threatening), due to an FDA-regulated product you purchased from a website: If your report involves a serious reaction or problem with an FDA-regulated product: If you have questions, or want to talk with someone, call the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator who works with your state. Prescription drug misuse: Epidemiology, prevention, identification, and management. However, based on changes enacted by the MMA, personal importation of prescription drugs that have not been approved by the FDA for use in the U.S. is permitted on a case-by-case basis. An increasing problem, prescription drug abuse can affect all age groups, including teens. Nearly nine in ten (89%) adults 65 and older report they are currently taking any prescription medicine. Early identification of prescription drug abuse and early intervention may prevent the problem from turning into an addiction. All reports are treated in confidence and you have the option to report anonymously. The agency has pointed out that where you buy . Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Help prevent misuse and abuse by not selling or sharing prescription drugs. Whenever we have multiple tasks, it's human nature to make a list. The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news, the Kaiser Family Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California. New Mexico and Maine have also submitted importation plans for HHS approval. When someone sells them illegally, they usually commit a felony, and the consequences can be harsh. For example, certain states do not levy the sales tax for necessary for survival items such as groceries and prescription drugs. According to Addiction Resource, the United States is the second largest consumer of marijuana in the world. Because the FDA has not authorized any state importation plan under the final rule, and there is no timeline for authorization, the Administration asserts that possible future injuries to Plaintiffs members are overly speculative and not imminent. The federal court has not yet responded to the Administrations motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Under each states respective laws to establish an importation program, they are required to submit a proposal to HHS to demonstrate how its program will meet those safety and cost saving requirements. Additionally, since drug trafficking is a felony, it may also make defendants susceptible to immigration consequences, including possible deportation after a prison sentence is served.