As Customs Requirements Change, SHARx Focuses on Rx Continuity for Employers and Patients

Executive Order 14411 strengthens provisions to import procedures but may result in unintended consequences affecting certain medication pathways. SHARx recommends benefit providers prepare options to protect access.

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Changes to customs procedures could affect some pathways used by Americans to obtain lower-cost prescription medications. The industry experts at SHARx, a supply-chain and procurement management company, are advocating to ensure those in need of affordable access to high-cost prescription drugs will not be affected by unintended consequences of the order's change in procedures. While the Executive Order seems to contradict the present administration's stated goal of lower drug prices, SHARx is building a sustainable model that allows them to pivot on their members' behalf, regardless of policy changes.

Executive Order 14411, Strengthening Customs Enforcement, directs the Department of Homeland Security to bar foreign importers of record from using informal customs entry and tightens requirements for formal entry. On October 22, a separate Customs and Border Protection (CBP) rule will change international mail entry procedures for certain mailed goods subject to other federal agencies' requirements, including those of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Wall Street Journal reported Sept. 22 that patients ordering lower-cost prescriptions from foreign mail-order pharmacies are preparing for possible interruptions. While the onus on individual purchasers will be daunting, employers who have contracted with SHARx to assist their employees will have a strong advocate to navigate this changing landscape. The potential policy shift highlights why employers struggling to provide affordable medication access to their employees need an organization like SHARx to provide legitimate options to their team members.

"The order is not a ban or a restriction on personally imported prescription drugs," said Paul Pruitt, Chief Growth Officer and Co-Founder of SHARx. "But it could affect medication pathways, depending on how shipments are currently handled and how the government implements the requirements. It's important for employers to understand that distinction while knowing we have built new pathways to prepare for potential changes."

Assess the Pathways

If a lower-cost route becomes harder to use, employees whose plans do not cover these medications may need another way to obtain their medication. Available alternatives could involve additional work, delays, or higher costs for the plan or member. Corey Durbin, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of SHARx, explains that the company began preparing for these procedural shifts this summer. SHARx has tested alternative entry processes and is developing domestic sourcing options to help employers maintain access if import processing changes.

"We've been helping members since 2017, and we've seen a lot of changes to the ways prescriptions reach the people who need them. October 22 will be just another Thursday at SHARx, and we're ready for it," Durbin said.

He continued, "A big chunk of what we're trying to do is to set the record straight," Durbin continued. "We are hearing from our clients and partnering brokers that there are a lot of conflicting claims about the order. We want SHARx to be a source of reassurance and information. At the same time, we have a program ready for our clients that will insulate them from the bureaucratic roller coaster."

Durbin emphasized that the SHARx team works closely with multiple national lobbyists, politicians, and influential leaders. SHARx mission as world-class supply chain management firm is only intensified in times like these.

"The high-cost drug problem is not going away, and neither are the results we provide to the member and the employer," Durbin said.

Plan for More Than One Pathway

The SHARx team is continually evaluating how and when client sourcing arrangements may be affected and what alternatives are available.

"Preparation is particularly important because affordable access involves more than finding a lower price," Pruitt said. "Employers also need a dependable way for members to obtain the medications prescribed to them. A solution that saves money but is available only when one pathway is open leaves employers exposed when conditions change. SHARx prepares and will never be a one-trick pony"

About SHARx

SHARx is a procurement and supply chain management solution for high-cost prescription drugs. Working alongside employer-sponsored health plans, SHARx helps employers address the financial impact of expensive and specialty medications while providing members with personalized advocacy and access to cost-effective sourcing solutions. Learn more at SHARXplan.com 

Reference

• Executive Office of the President. (2026, June 10). Strengthening customs enforcement (Executive Order 14411). Federal Register, 91, 35125–35129. 
• Martinez, X. (2026, September 22). Americans are about to lose access to cheap gray-market prescriptions from Canada. The Wall Street Journal.

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SOURCE SHARx