Prescription Drugs: Strategic Framework Would Promote Accountability and Enhance Efforts to Enforce the Prohibitions on Personal Importation

In fiscal year 2005, we analyzed how Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) work with other federal agencies at international mail and express carrier facilities to inspect for and interdict prescription drugs illegally imported for personal use. We reported, among other things, that neither CBP nor FDA systematically collected data on the volume or safety of these imports and recommended that CBP work with the other federal agencies to develop an approach for estimating the scope of the problem. CBP provided a study, completed in fiscal year 2007, that estimates the volume of controlled substances and non-controlled prescription drugs shipped via international mail, through U.S. Postal Service International Mail Branches, to the United States. This study did not fully address our recommendation because CBP did not provide (1) complete information on methodology, including information on how the estimates were derived (based on a statistically valid sample and how the time period for study was chosen); (2) whether the estimates included controlled substances mailed as prescription drugs (drugs defined by the Drug Enforcement Administration as category III, IV, and V controlled substances, such as Valium or Tylenol with codeine, rather than category I or II--drugs such as heroin, marijuana, or kaat), (3) estimates on controlled substances or prescription drugs entering the country via express carriers, such as FEDEX or UPS; and plans for doing the study during future periods to examine trends. By putting in place a means to consistently assess the scope of the drug importation problem, CBP and other agencies would be better able to make informed decisions about strategies moving forward, prioritize activities, and ensure that resources are focused on the areas of greatest need. In July 2009, CBP officials reported that no additional action had been taken with regard to (1) obtaining data on the volume of drugs entering the country, including via express carriers and (2) establishing a strategic framework to assess the problem; developing a strategic framework for moving forward; prioritize activities; and take steps to ensure that resources can be focused on areas of greatest need. Therefore, we are closing this recommendation as not implemented.

In fiscal year 2005, we analyzed how Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) work with other federal agencies at international mail and express carrier facilities to inspect for and interdict prescription drugs illegally imported for personal use. We reported, among other things, that the FDA has said it faces a significant challenge handling the substantial volume of prescription drugs imported for personal use entering international mail facilities. Specifically, FDA has expressed continuing concern to Congress that it encounters serious resource constraints enforcing the law at mail facilities because packages containing personal drug imports cannot be automatically refused. In September 2008, FDA officials indicated that the last actions taken on this recommendation appear to be from 2006 and that they do not anticipate being able to provide additional information about the status of this recommendation before fiscal year 2009. As of July 24, 2009, FDA officials had not provided any additional information about actions to address this recommendation.