US Senate Democrats seek compromise on drug imports

Democrats scrambled on Friday to resolve a stalemate over whether to permit imports of cheaper prescription drugs from Canada and elsewhere as part of a larger effort to overhaul the US healthcare system. Work on health reform legislation, President Barack Obama's top domestic priority, has stalled in the Senate over a bipartisan proposal to allow patients and pharmacies to import US Food and Drug Administration-approved medications as long as they register with the federal agency. Importing prescription drugs, also known as "reimportation," has been an issue for years as US consumers look for cheaper alternatives for prescription medications that can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars a year, especially for those without health insurance. Despite days of debate over the measure, Democrats remained divided over the issue in large part over safety concerns. Some critics charged the real split was over the $80 billion, 10-year deal under which drug companies promised the White House and certain senators they would charge the government less for some medications and pay higher taxes.