Common questions
Short answers to questions people often ask, each pointing to the page that treats it in full. These summaries are general legal-framework information, not legal or medical advice.
Is it legal to order prescription drugs from Canada?
No — not in the sense of a clear legal right. Federal law prohibits importing unapproved drugs, and the FDA’s Personal Importation Policy is written guidance about when the agency may exercise enforcement discretion, not a law or a license that makes importation legal. The agency describes circumstances in which it may choose not to act; it does not grant permission. A practice that agencies have chosen not to prioritize for enforcement is not the same as a practice the law authorizes. See why “enforcement discretion” is not the same as “legal” and the framework.
Which states can legally import drugs from Canada?
Importation from Canada by a state is only possible through a Section 804 Importation Program (SIP) the FDA has authorized, and this is a wholesale, state-to-pharmacy pathway — not individual personal importation. As of mid-2026 the FDA has authorized two state programs: Florida’s (January 2024) and Colorado’s (June 2026). Other states have submitted proposals the FDA has not authorized. Even an authorized program must clear further FDA steps before any drug is actually imported. See the framework for detail.
Is personally carrying medication across the border different from having it mailed?
Yes, the two are treated differently. For personal baggage, initial responsibility rests with CBP, and FDA personnel do not examine personal baggage; most personal baggage containing FDA-regulated items is not referred to the FDA. Mailed and courier shipments are examined at International Mail Facilities, and parcels appearing to contain drugs are set aside for FDA review. Separately, a long-standing appropriations rider restricts CBP from using its funds to stop an individual personally carrying a 90-day supply of an FDA-compliant, non-controlled drug from Canada — but that rider applies only to personal carriage from Canada, not to mailed imports, which are the most common cost-driven pattern and which it does not protect. This describes how the channels are handled; it is not advice to use either. See customs and CBP and the legal action record.
How much medication does the framework allow?
The FDA’s published criteria use a benchmark of generally not more than a three-month (about 90-day) supply. This figure is not a permission or a guaranteed allowance — the agency uses it to distinguish a personal-use shipment from a commercial one. A supply above roughly three months may be evaluated as commercial, and commercial shipments fall outside the enforcement-discretion framework entirely. A shipment at or below three months is not thereby cleared: it may still be refused for failing another criterion. The three-month figure describes how quantity factors into the FDA’s assessment; it is not a quantity the site advises anyone to import. See the three-month supply benchmark.
This page provides general legal-framework information. It is not legal advice and not medical advice.