Florida’s Bid for Cheaper Drugs Approved by FDA, but Some Aren’t Thrilled
The pharmaceutical industry has long opposed the plan which might save some states hundreds of millions of dollars
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a letter to Florida on Friday, announcing that it will allow the state to begin the process of importing drugs in bulk from Canada. This approval marks a significant change that would potentially save the state an estimated hundreds of millions of dollars on Medicaid and other public health programs.
The U.S. pharmaceutical industry has long opposed drug imports, and the lobbying group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA, is expected to sue to block the new plan, according to The New York Times.
In their letter, the FDA said “numerous subject matter experts at FDA and other components of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have carefully and thoroughly reviewed” the proposal and found that it met the requirements of a law passed by Congress in 2020 that allows drug importation from Canada.
The federal law, however, has never been fully implemented due to drugmakers and federal health officials who presented concerns about the safety of imported drugs. Canada has also opposed the plan in the past, arguing it could cause a drug shortage for Canadian consumers.
Along with Florida, additional states, including Colorado, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Texas, Vermont and Wisconsin are also looking to import drugs from Canada and are working towards FDA approval.
Americans can legally buy prescriptions from Canadian pharmacies, but government health agencies have not yet been allowed to buy Canadian medications in bulk. Florida estimates it could save as much as $150 million dollars for prescriptions subsidized by state agencies, such as diabetes and HIV medications.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been pushing for drug imports and has criticized the FDA for delaying the approval process. Nationally, Republicans and Democrats both support the importation of drugs, claiming it will lower costs for Americans. However, some experts argue that importing from Canada is not the solution it appears to be, pointing out that Canada may not want to cooperate, and the financial burden states will face to ensure the imports’ safety will eliminate any cost savings.
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