May 23, 2013
The Food and Drug Administration says nearly 90 percent of the imported mail-order drugs stopped at the borders in a special crackdown by government agents were potentially dangerous.
The drugs were collected at international mail arrival centers in Miami, New York, San Francisco and Carson, Calif.
Of 1,153 imported drugs collected by FDA and Customs agents, all but 34 were illegal. They included drugs that have been withdrawn from the U.S. market, animal drugs never approved for human use, counterfeit drugs, drugs with dangerous interactions, drugs with dangerous side effects and narcotics.
Imported drugs are becoming a hot political issue with many Americans seeking lower-cost products from foreign sources. Buying drugs from Canada is particularly popular because US produced drugs cost less there.
