Beginning January 20, 2027, Customs and Border Protection will implement new requirements for low-cost imported goods across all sectors, which may include pharmaceuticals imported for personal use. In a new insight, Director of Health Care Policy Michael Baker considers how these regulations might impact patient access to prescription drugs – including whether the changes in trade policy may spur an increase in illegal drug compounding.

Key points:

• Under the new changes, international mail containing Food and Drug Administration-(FDA) regulated products such as pharmaceuticals imported for personal use will face greater scrutiny and increased reporting requirements.
• Though personal pharmaceutical importation is generally unlawful, patients have long purchased drugs from foreign pharmacies to lower out-of-pocket costs and maintain access to certain medicines.
• This customs change may incentivize patients to explore alternative routes to access medications if personal drug importation is disrupted; the FDA should be prepared to enforce existing compounding laws and prevent this change in trade policy from creating risks in the drug supply chain.

Read the analysis.