Which act prohibited the importation of unsafe or adulterated drugs at key points of entry?

• A. Drug Importation Act 1848
• B. Biologics Control Act 1902
• C. Pure Food and Drug Act 1906
• D. Kefauver-Harris Amendments 1962

Answer: (A)

The Drug Importation Act of 1848 focused specifically on preventing unsafe or adulterated drugs from entering the United States by inspecting imports at key ports of entry. It gave federal authorities authority to block shipments that were not pure or safe before they could reach consumers. This port-of-entry safeguard is what sets it apart from the other laws: the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act addressed misbranding and adulteration in interstate commerce rather than immigration controls at entry points; the Biologics Control Act of 1902 regulated biologics, not general drug imports; and the Kefauver-Harris Amendments of 1962 required evidence of efficacy and safety for marketed drugs rather than port screening of imports.