Florida urges US to import less expensive Canadian drugs

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing the Biden administration to approve a program he says would save tens of millions of dollars by importing drugs from Canada

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- After two years of lobbying to lower prescription drug costs for Floridians, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday he's waiting for final approval from the Biden administration to import drugs from Canada, which he said would save tens of millions of dollars. The Republican governor signed a bill in 2019 allowing prescription drugs to be imported from the neighboring country, but the plan required federal approval. State health officials have been working behind the scenes to meet federal guidelines. DeSantis also met with then-President Donald Trump in 2019, pointing out that drug costs had risen more than 150% in the past 15 years, and urging him to allow the states to pursue less expensive alternatives from other countries. DeSantis estimated the program would save the state between $80 million and $150 million. Many people already buy at least some of their medicines from pharmacies in Canada or Mexico, although technically it’s illegal to import them. The idea of allowing importation has been around for years, but previous attempts have been blocked by pharmaceutical industry lobbying and safety concerns seconded by government regulators.