Importation of medicine is criticized

Salt Lake City hosted its first Cafe Scientifique — an informal gathering of people discussing the issue of drug importation — this past week at a local coffee house.

The gathering was part of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists convention at the Salt Palace Convention Center.

Research scientist Stephen Byrn, professor of medicinal chemistry at Purdue University, led 30 participants at the Salt Lake Roasting Co. in a debate over the merits of importing lower-priced drugs from Canada and Mexico. The consensus seemed to be that such importation is not healthy either for Americans or the U.S. pharmaceutical industry.

Cafe Scientifique discussions, started in England, are meetings on scientific subjects that take place in cafes, bars, theaters and other places outside traditional academic venues. The idea is to have scientific discussions with scientists and members of the public who otherwise would not have the opportunity to learn from and ask questions of scientists.

Byrn, one of 8,000 members of the AAPS convention participants, said the issue of drug importation is multifaceted, since it covers more than just the free market buying and selling of drugs. Perhaps the biggest issue, he said, is the safety and purity of drugs outside the FDA-watched distribution channels in the United States.

The Internet, Byrn said, is changing the way drugs and other products are distributed.