The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America recently launched an advertising campaign aimed at America’s senior citizens about the safety risks of importing prescription drugs from foreign countries. The campaign includes the launch of a new Web site, www.buysafedrugs.info, which acts a clearinghouse for information about prescription drug importation. PhRMA is advertising the site on search engines and blogs, and it has received 300,000 hits since its launch on June 21.

When politicians talk about importing drugs from Canada, they never tell you that the drugs, in reality, could be coming from countries like Pakistan, Thailand, South Africa, Latvia and Estonia,” says Ken Johnson, PhRMA senior vice president. “There’s a growing body of evidence that importation schemes threaten public health, and Americans need to understand the dangers associated with importation and learn about alternatives to taking these unnecessary risks.”

 …