Can I Bring Pergolide into the US from Another Country?

Posted on EC List 4/29/2007 Msg #90865

> Can a person physically go to another country and
> bring pergolide into the USA?

No, because to be eligible for importation (even if you go yourself
and get it, it's still importation) it has to be an approved drug
that is identical in every way, including product labelling and
language, to the US form of the drug and has to be manufactured
according to US standards. Because there is no longer an "approved"
form of pergolide, you can't bring it into the country without a
permit.

What's interesting though is that all the importation rules apply to
**HUMAN** use. Not a peep about drugs for veterinary use. When
omissions in legislation and guidance documents like this occur, the
FDA will typically make a statement either way depending on what they
favor, rather than any legal basis. For example, the DSHEA (Dietary
Supplements Health and Education Act) protected human access to
things like glucosamine, but because it didn't specifically mention
animals there was a push a few years back to ban these things for
animals. In the case of the drug importation laws, odds are they
would declare the opposite - that they really did mean to include
animal drugs in all the importation restrictions.

By not specifically including animals, any action they might take to
stop your husband bringing it in would be subject to legal
questioning in court - but who has the time or money for that! It
might be an interesting test of the system for him to try it though.
Take your vet's prescription with you, marked clearly "for equine
use", buy just a very small amount and see what happens at customs.

Eleanor