References and sources: where the federal record lives

This page indexes the primary federal sources that the rest of the site relies on — the statutes, regulations, agency guidance, oversight reports, and court records. Wherever this site makes a factual claim, the source it rests on can be found here, so you can read the original rather than take our word for it.

Federal statutes

• Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act — 21 U.S.C. § 355, 21 U.S.C. § 381, and 21 U.S.C. § 384. uscode.house.gov
• Controlled Substances Import/Export — 21 U.S.C. § 956. uscode.house.gov
• Administrative Procedure Act — 5 U.S.C. § 701. uscode.house.gov

Federal regulations

• 21 C.F.R. Part 251, Importation of Prescription Drugs. ecfr.gov
• 21 C.F.R. § 1301.26, importation of controlled substances for personal medical use. ecfr.gov
• 21 C.F.R. § 1.94, procedure for refused articles. ecfr.gov

Federal Register rulemakings

• Importation of Prescription Drugs, Final Rule, Oct. 1, 2020. federalregister.gov
• Administrative Destruction, Final Rule, May 31, 2024; effective July 1, 2024. federalregister.gov
• Importation of Controlled Substances for Personal Medical Use, Final Rule, 69 Fed. Reg. 55347, Sept. 14, 2004. federalregister.gov

FDA guidance and public-facing pages

• FDA, “Personal Importation.” fda.gov
• FDA Regulatory Procedures Manual, Chapter 9, Coverage of Personal Importations. fda.gov PDF
• FDA, “Administrative Destruction Authority.” fda.gov
• FDA Import Program portal. fda.gov

FDA Import Alerts

• Import Alert 66-57, “Detention Without Physical Examination of Foreign Manufactured Unapproved Prescription Drugs Distributed to Individuals in the U.S.” accessdata.fda.gov
• Import Alert 66-41, “Detention Without Physical Examination of Unapproved New Drugs Promoted In The U.S.” accessdata.fda.gov
• FDA Import Alerts index. accessdata.fda.gov

Customs and Border Protection

• CBP traveler guidance on medication. help.cbp.gov
• CBP, prohibited and restricted items. cbp.gov

Federal oversight reports

• GAO reports on Internet pharmacies and imported-drug oversight. gao.gov
• GAO-22-104725. gao.gov
• Congressional Research Service, “Prescription Drug Importation” IF11056. congress.gov

DEA controlled-substance resources

• DEA drug scheduling. dea.gov
• DEA, “One Pill Can Kill” and fentanyl resources. dea.gov
• DEA Diversion Control Division. deadiversion.usdoj.gov

FDA drug-safety and counterfeit resources

• FDA BeSafeRx. fda.gov
• FDA, Counterfeit Medicine. fda.gov
• FDA Internet Pharmacy Warning Letters. fda.gov
• FDA MedWatch and FAERS. fda.gov
• FDA Drug Shortages. accessdata.fda.gov

Federal court records

• Heckler v. Chaney, 470 U.S. 821 (1985). supreme.justia.com
• Wyeth v. Levine, 555 U.S. 555 (2009). supreme.justia.com
• PACER federal court records. pacer.uscourts.gov

State boards of pharmacy

• NABP state-board directory. nabp.pharmacy

Other federal agencies referenced

• CDC Health Alert Network and Yellow Book. cdc.gov
• U.S. Department of State traveler information. travel.state.gov
• ICE and IPR Center materials. ice.gov

What this page does not link to

By design, this index excludes commercial pharmacy directories, pharmacy verification seals, advocacy organizations, general news media, law-firm commentary, and foreign government health agencies. These exclusions keep this index aligned with the site’s primary-federal-source discipline; they are not a judgment about those sources’ value for other purposes.

This page is a reference index, not legal or medical advice. Federal sources are updated over time; if you find a broken or outdated link, the About page explains how to report it.