Florida can import prescription drugs from Canada, US regulators say
Florida can import prescription drugs from Canada, US regulators say
Federal officials have cleared the way for Florida to begin importing cheaper prescription drugs from Canada.
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday cleared the way for Florida’s first-in-the-nation plan to import lower-priced prescription drugs from Canada, a long-sought approach to accessing cheaper medications that follows decades of frustration with U.S. drug prices.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the plan into law in 2019, but it required federal review and approval by the FDA, which controls prescription drug imports.
Democratic President Joe Biden has backed such programs as a way to lower prices, signing an executive order in 2021 that directed the FDA to work with states on imports.
The policy change represented a seismic shift after decades of lobbying by the pharmaceutical industry, which said imports would expose U.S. patients to risks of counterfeit or adulterated drugs. The FDA also previously warned of the difficulties of assuring the safety of drugs originating from outside the U.S.
Absolutely anything to avoid negotiating for a better deal here at home. They can't upset the donor class after all...
Pretty sure Canada told them they could forget getting any drugs from them years ago. Why would Canada want to import drugs just to export them again?
Damn foreigners stealing our Big Pharma profits!
Half the people in Florida are imported from Canada too. So it makes sense.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Ron DeSantis signed the plan into law in 2019, but it required federal review and approval by the FDA, which controls prescription drug imports.
Democratic President Joe Biden has backed such programs as a way to lower prices, signing an executive order in 2021 that directed the FDA to work with states on imports.
The policy change represented a seismic shift after decades of lobbying by the pharmaceutical industry, which said imports would expose U.S. patients to risks of counterfeit or adulterated drugs.
Florida’s health department must also provide a quarterly report to the FDA on the types of drugs imported, cost savings and any potential safety and quality issues.
“These proposals must demonstrate the programs would result in significant cost savings to consumers without adding risk of exposure to unsafe or ineffective drugs,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said in a statement.
Only in 2022 did Congress pass a law allowing the federal government to negotiate prices for a small number of medications used by seniors in the Medicare program.
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