ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores applauded the Senate for preventing the passage of prescription drug reimportation amendments that the association said would have "compromised the link between pharmacy and patients."

NACDS said Wednesday that the reimportation amendment would have mandated track-and-trace requirements on the pharmacy industry, potentially adding billions to the cost of dispensing prescription drugs in the United States.

Reimportation of prescription drugs would put patient and consumer health and safety at risk, minimize the role of pharmacists in the dispensing of medication and counseling of patients, and disrupt patient care and service, according to NACDS

"The U.S. distribution system is already one of the safest in the world, and we are pleased that the Senate acted to preserve the system," NACDS President and chief executive officer Steven Anderson said in a statement. "NACDS has worked to defeat legislation that would compromise the safety of prescription drug distribution channels."

Through the association’s RxImpact grassroots program, NACDS members and pharmacy advocates in recent months sent more than 1,200 letters about prescription drug reimportation to Capitol Hill, NACDS noted.

"NACDS and our members applaud the efforts of Sens. Frank Lautenberg (D., N.J.), Kay Hagan (D., N.C.) and others for their leadership in preventing corruption to these distribution channels," Anderson added. "As the face of neighborhood health care, pharmacy looks forward to working with Congress on continuing to serve patients through a safe supply chain while pursuing cost-saving strategies that are more effective than reimportation."