WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is cosponsoring bipartisan legislation that would allow Americans to save money by importing the same medications from pharmacies in Canada — for less. The Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act would give Americans safe access to prescription drugs from Canada, which would help lower costs, increase access for consumers and positively impact the domestic market for consumers through increased competition.

According the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), studies have shown that people in the United States often pay more for prescription drugs than in other developed countries. A 2024 report from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) found that Canadian drug prices are roughly 44% of those in the United States. Canada’s drug prices are generally lower than those in the United States because the Canadian government has implemented various mechanisms to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Last year, Florida became the first state to gain authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to import certain prescription drugs from Canada.

“As we work to address the cost-of-living, making the prescription drug market more competitive is a simple way to help Americans — especially when we’re seeing our neighbors to the north enjoy lower out-of-pocket prices,” said Senator King. “The bipartisan Safe and Affordable Drugs From Canada Act would give Maine people the ability to purchase their prescriptions directly from pharmacies across the northern border at the market rate of a less expensive marketplace. This legislation is a commonsense step that will help Maine people save money and stay healthy.”

In addition to Senator King, this legislation is cosponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

Senator King has been a leader in working to reduce prescription drug costs. He also recently cosponsored bipartisan legislation which would require price disclosures on advertisements for prescription drugs in order to inform patients who are considering certain medications after seeing television commercials. He previously introduced legislation to prohibit pharmaceutical drug manufacturers from claiming tax deductions for consumer advertising expenses. Most recently, Senator King introduced the Responsibility in Drug Advertising Act, which would prohibit direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of a new drug in the first three years after the drug receives Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approval.

He has also supported a number of commonsense bills to drive down the costs of prescription medication in the United States including the historic Inflation Reduction Act. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, insulin fees are capped at $35 per month, Medicare is able to negotiate drug prices, and a $2,000 yearly cap on out-of-pocket expenses has been instituted for Medicare recipients.

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