January 5, 2024 – U.S. regulators on Friday approved a plan to allow the state of Florida to import medicines, a move that would allow the state to buy medicines directly from Canada at a lower cost. He explained that it was a step.
FDA approved Florida Department of Health Care Drug Importation Program. The agency said countries must then meet several obligations, including demonstrating that the drugs they are importing have been tested for authenticity and compliance with FDA specifications and standards.
This is the first time that a national drug import plan has been approved. This is a win for lawmakers in both parties who have long viewed Canadian drug imports as a way to reduce U.S. drug costs.Supporters of this concept include Democrats as well as the president. joe biden and a U.S. senator. elizabeth warren Massachusetts congressman, Republican like former president donald trump and florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
But U.S. pharmaceutical organizations have vowed to oppose the plan.
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA), a trade group for drug companies, said in a statement Friday that it is considering „all options“ to block Florida’s plan to import drugs from Canada.
It’s also unclear how well the state’s drug importation plan would actually work if implemented.
Canadian authorities and medical groups have long opposed large-scale imports into the United States. For example, the Canadian Pharmacists Association warned the Trump-era FDA in 2020 that such drug diversions would be „catastrophic“ to the nation, exacerbating drug shortages and increasing drug costs.
Many people in the United States are already traveling to Canada and Mexico for cheaper prices.
The FDA has been working for years on regulations to allow broader drug imports. The agency rejected a request from New Hampshire in 2022, citing a lack of critical information, including details about the expected drug suppliers. Other states where lawmakers are seriously considering drug importation include Colorado, Maine, New Mexico, Ohio and Vermont, according to a December 2023 report from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. included.
FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf said in a statement Friday that the agency will work with other states and Native American tribes on drug import plans.
„These proposals must demonstrate that the programs provide significant cost savings to consumers without increasing the risk of exposure to unsafe or ineffective drugs,“ he said in a statement. .