The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is allowing Florida to import millions of dollars worth of prescription drugs from Canada, a move that could reignite concerns about drug supplies north of the border. .
Florida estimates buying prescription drugs from Canada to treat conditions such as HIV/AIDS, diabetes and hepatitis C could save southern states $150 million annually.
The FDA approved Florida’s request.in Letter to state government The administration approved the proposal on Friday, saying that importing medicines from Canada would “significantly reduce the cost of covered products to U.S. consumers without posing additional risks to the health and safety of the public.” said.
The sunshine condition is one of a handful The companies have applied for permission to import prescription drugs wholesale from Canada, meaning Friday’s approval could be just the first of several.
Canada created a federal regulator decades ago to keep the prices of patented medicines from becoming prohibitive, but has long resisted such import plans.
Reached for comment, Health Canada said it hoped to provide a statement to CBC News by late Friday afternoon.
Ministry spokesperson told the New York Times Large-scale imports are “not an effective solution to America’s high drug price problem”
“Canada’s drug supply is too low to meet the demand of both American and Canadian consumers,” Maryse Durrett told the paper.
Canada has blocked exports in the past.
In 2019, then-U.S. President Donald Trump proposed rules that would allow bulk imports of prescription drugs, promising it would be a “game changer for America’s seniors.”
Within months, the Canadian government banned large-scale exports of some prescription drugs to avoid the risk of shortages at home.
“Our health care system is a symbol of our national character, and we are committed to protecting it,” said then-Health Secretary Patty Hajdu.
Health Canada said in a statement at the time that Canada has been experiencing drug shortages of about 10 to 15 per cent “at any given time” since 2017.
