Rx Depot Gives Up Bid to Reopen Drug Importation Operations

August 23, 2004 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Rx Depot, an Oklahoma-based company forced to close last year for helping to import Canadian prescription drugs, gave up its bid yesterday to reopen its operations

The company had violated a law that allows only manufacturers to bring their drugs into the United States, according to a ruling by US District Judge Claire Eagan, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Rx Depot had been sending prescriptions and medical histories for patients to Canadian pharmacists, who would send the drugs to the patient’s residences.

Rx Depot had been appealing the decision, according to its lawyer, Fred Stoops, but decided it had no chance of prevailing. Stoops had said that the FDA, through its pursuit of Rx Depot, was showing that it held individuals to a higher standard than states and cities, since the FDA had not stopped these entities from enacting similar plans. Five states have opted to buck FDA policy and import foreign prescription drugs, with Illinois last week becoming the fifth state to enact such a policy (See http://www.plansponsor.com/pi_type10/?RECORD_ID=26449 ).

“There’s absolutely no question if the state of Illinois can do what they’re doing, he should be able to do what he did,” Stoops stated, about Rx Depot’s owner Carl Moore, the Union-Tribune said.

– Kip McDaniel

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