TL;DR
Get oils, diffusers and self-care delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
A federal customs rule is set to suspend the under-$800 de minimis exemption on Oct. 22, adding data and bond requirements to international mail, including prescription medicines. Patient advocates and lawmakers warn that the change could delay or impede some Americans’ access to lower-cost drugs ordered from Canada; the government has not said whether it will exempt personal-use medicines.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection rule scheduled to take effect Oct. 22 could make it harder for millions of Americans to receive medicines ordered from Canadian pharmacies by ending a customs exemption for low-value international shipments. The change does not single out Canadian drugs, but will require additional shipment data and a bond guarantee for medicines mailed from abroad, raising concerns about delays, refusals and added costs for patients who rely on them.
The rule suspends indefinitely the de minimis exemption, which had allowed shipments valued under $800 to pass through customs more easily. It applies broadly to international mail, including goods such as clothing and toys, and is intended to help collect tariffs and prevent illegal drugs from entering the United States. Under the new requirements, medications mailed from outside the country will need additional data and a bond guarantee.
The practical effects for prescription orders are not yet established. The MedPage Today report says the requirements could lead to delays, refusals or greater difficulty getting medicines delivered; it does not report a government estimate of how many drug shipments will be affected. A 2020 study published in JAMA Network Open estimated that about 2.3 million Americans buy drugs abroad.
Ken Hunter, executive director of the Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation, cited his organization’s August comparison of 10 commonly prescribed medicines. It found a three-month supply of apixaban (Eliquis)—180 five-milligram pills—cost $565 through a Canadian mail-order pharmacy, compared with about $1,017 at Amazon’s pharmacy and $1,029 through GoodRx. Those figures are the organization’s comparison, not a government price assessment, and prices may vary.
Patients Face Fewer Low-Cost Options
The rule could affect patients who use Canadian pharmacies because a medicine is less expensive or unavailable in the United States. If orders are delayed or cannot be delivered, patients may need to seek a domestic source, pay a different price or consult a clinician about alternatives. The report does not establish that all personal-use prescriptions will be stopped, or that every patient who imports medicines will face a price increase.
The issue also tests how the administration’s drug-cost agenda intersects with customs enforcement. The White House says President Donald Trump remains committed to reducing prescription prices through measures including most-favored-nation agreements with drug companies and the TrumpRx discount website. Patient advocates argue those efforts do not cover every medicine or every patient. The administration has not explained how those price initiatives relate to the new mail requirements.
The rule has drawn attention from lawmakers in both parties, making its implementation a policy issue as well as a logistical one. Patients and pharmacies will need clear guidance on what paperwork and guarantees are required and whether any exception will apply to prescriptions intended for personal use.
Canadian prescription medication delivery
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
The Exemption Behind the Change
The de minimis exemption previously eased customs processing for shipments valued below $800. The new rule applies to a broad range of international shipments rather than specifically targeting Canadian pharmacies. Its stated aims include collecting tariffs and preventing illegal drugs from entering the country, while its added procedures may also affect legitimate prescription orders.
The change arrives as the Trump administration has made prescription costs a prominent part of its health policy. Federal data cited in the report showed U.S. prescription drug prices were down 3.1% from a year earlier this summer, the steepest year-over-year decline since 1963. The report says experts caution that factors beyond presidential policies likely contributed to the decline, so the figure does not establish that administration actions caused it.
Some patients say tariffs have already affected their costs. Susan Hooper, a 75-year-old Toledo resident who has used oxygen for 14 years, told MedPage Today that her Canadian-sourced theophylline, which she said previously cost $85 including shipping, had become more expensive after additional tariffs on Canada were imposed in August. The supplied report cuts off before giving her new price, so the increase cannot be quantified from the available information.
“The Trump administration continues working to ensure Americans have access to low-cost pharmaceuticals across the board.”
— Allison Schuster, White House spokesperson
international mail order prescription drugs
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Personal-Use Medicine Rules Unsettled
It remains unclear whether the administration will change, suspend or decline to enforce the rule, or whether it will create an exception for prescription medicines intended for personal use. The report says the administration has those options but does not describe a decision or a published exemption.
Officials have not provided a detailed estimate of how many medication shipments could be delayed or refused, or how much additional expense patients might face. The supplied report says CBP did not respond to requests for comment. It also does not provide the final amount of Hooper’s theophylline price after tariffs, because the account ends before stating the new figure.
low-cost Canadian pharmacy medications
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Guidance Before the October Deadline
The rule is scheduled to take effect Oct. 22. Before then, patients, pharmacies and importers will need information from federal agencies about the required shipment data, bond guarantees and handling of personal-use prescriptions. The report does not identify a scheduled agency briefing or a confirmed change to the implementation date.
Lawmakers from both parties have asked the administration to explain how patients will be protected. The next significant development will be whether federal officials respond with guidance, modify the requirements or provide assurances that medicines for personal use can continue to enter the country. Until that is clear, the scale of any disruption remains uncertain.
prescription drug import from Canada
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What changes on Oct. 22?
The federal rule is scheduled to indefinitely suspend the under-$800 de minimis exemption for international shipments. Medicines mailed from outside the United States will require additional data and a bond guarantee.
Does the rule specifically ban drugs from Canada?
No. The rule applies to international mail generally, not specifically to Canadian medicines. Patient advocates say the added requirements could nevertheless make Canadian pharmacy orders harder to deliver.
Will every American ordering medicine from Canada lose access?
That has not been established. The report says shipments could face delays, refusals or added difficulty, but federal officials have not provided an estimate of the number of patients affected or confirmed whether personal-use prescriptions will receive an exception.
What have lawmakers asked the administration to do?
More than 70 Democratic lawmakers asked officials to pause the rule unless they could assure them personal-use prescriptions would be allowed into the country. Three Florida Republican representatives also urged Customs and Border Protection and the FDA to protect constituents seeking lower-cost medicines.
How much could patients save by ordering from Canada?
In a comparison cited by patient advocate Ken Hunter, a three-month supply of apixaban cost $565 through a Canadian mail-order pharmacy, versus about $1,017 at Amazon’s pharmacy and $1,029 through GoodRx. The comparison covers one medicine and is not a guarantee of current prices for all patients.
Source: rss
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
