Senate Approves McClellan as New Medicare Chief
March 12 , 2004
Update: The Senate approved FDA chief Mark McClellan's nomination to head Medicare on Friday, after the vote was delayed over concerns about his opposition to legalizing the importation of prescription drugs.

FDA Chief McClellan Testifies on Drug Importation Concerns
March 11 , 2004
Update: The Food and Drug Administration commissioner and White House nominee to run Medicare, Mark McClellan, reiterated his concerns about drug importation during a contentious Senate hearing Thursday, but said the agency would examine whether the practice could be legalized without jeopardizing patient safety.

Illinois Residents Sue FDA as Importation Debate Heats Up
February 26, 2004
Update: The governor of Illinois Thursday backed a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to overturn the ban on buying prescription drugs from Canada.

Illinois to Request Waiver to Buy Drugs from Canada
Dec. 22, 2003
Update: Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced Monday he would ask the federal government for a waiver granting his state permission to purchase prescription drugs from Canada.

Boston, New Hampshire to Begin Buying Cheaper Drugs from Canada
Dec. 10, 2003
Update: Boston and New Hampshire announced Tuesday they will begin buying prescription drugs from Canada even though it is illegal. They will join the city of Springfield, Mass., which now has the only government program to import cheaper drugs from Canada.

FDA Says Most Drug Imports in Recent Sweep May Be Unsafe
Sept. 30, 2003
Update: The Food and Drug Administration said a recent crackdown on drug imports into the United States -- that revealed nearly 90 percent were unapproved and potentially dangerous -- further proves its stance that restrictions on importing drugs should not be relaxed.

Illinois Urges FDA to Allow States to Buy Drugs from Canada
Sept. 18, 2003
Update: Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Thursday that he would push for federal legislation that would allow states to buy cheaper prescription drugs from Canada and called on the Food and Drug Administration to back states that are moving toward reimporting drugs.

Pfizer Cracks Down on Drug Reimportation
Aug. 7, 2003
Update: Less than two weeks after the House passed a bill that would let U.S. consumers buy medicine at lower prices from Canada, Pfizer moved to prevent reimportation of its drugs.

House Passes Drug Importation Bill
July 25, 2003
House of Representatives early Friday morning approved a bill allowing Americans to purchase drugs imported from approved industrialized countries. Susan Dentzer reports on passage of the bill and its chances of being enacted into law.