WASHINGTON -- Despite opposition from the Bush administration, the House voted in favor of a bill that would allow imports of prescription drugs. The measure is intended to help patients get access to lower-cost medications, but critics argue it may sacrifice safety.

The bill, which passed early Friday morning on a 243-186 vote, marks a defeat for the pharmaceutical industry, which spends millions of dollars lobbying Congress. It now heads to the Senate, where its approval is less certain. Fifty-three senators have already declared their opposition to any change that would deny the secretary of Health and Human Services the ability to decide whether importation was safe. But according to supporters of the legislation, medical patients and seniors would be the big winners because they could get lower-priced drugs.		PRESCRIPTION DRUGS Top 50 Drugs Generic Costs Rising Numbers COST IN CANADA Are prescriptions less expensive in Canada? Compare Costs

Republican Jo Ann Emerson, of Missouri, arguing in support of the measure, points to a common breast cancer drug that costs six times less in Germany than it does in the United States. And busloads of consumers are known to travel to Canada to buy cheaper medicines. Emerson said American seniors shouldn't "take a back seat" to drug companies.

But John Dingell, D-Mich., warned the country could be flooded with unsafe pharmaceutical counterfeits and outdated medicines. Republican Dan Burton is also critical, saying "it's not about safety, it's about money."

The White House issued a statement calling the bill "dangerous."

Friday morning's vote is tied into negotiations for a larger Medicare prescription drug bill.