The Trump administration just announced it is taking steps to introduce a “safe importation action” pilot program authorizing states, wholesalers, and pharmacists to import drugs from Canada under one scenario and from other countries under another scenario. There is no specific timeline for implementation of a plan yet. According to the Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, the goal of the initiative is to “lower prices and reduce out of pocket costs for American patients.”

It won’t work. Instead, importing prescription drugs would put our lives in danger.