DeSantis Looks To Allow Floridians To Purchase Approved Drugs From Canada

February 21, 2019

Pointing to the high costs of health care, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday announced plans to create a program that would allow Floridians to have access to FDA-approved drugs from Canada.

Appearing at The Villages, DeSantis said he will work with President Donald Trump on creation of the program, which would require approval from the Trump administration.

“I spoke personally to President Trump on both Sunday and Monday about this,” DeSantis told a crowd at the huge Central Florida retirement community. “He’s not only supportive, he’s enthusiastic.”

DeSantis said his administration is working on keeping regulations — and taxes — down for Florida businesses.

“Now the biggest hurdle is paying for the health insurance,” he said. “And a lot of it is … because of the prescription drugs.”

The governor’s office didn’t release a detailed plan.  But DeSantis said the program would be possible under the federal Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003.

The law allows imports from Canada of prescription drugs for personal use and eliminated a prohibition against manufacturers entering into agreements to prevent the sale or distribution of imported products.

But a program cannot be created unless the secretary of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services certifies to Congress that the imports don’t threaten the health and safety of the American public and would reduce costs. Such a certification has not happened.

“Sixteen years this has been on the books, and yet it has never been put into practice,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis said the changes would also help reduce the amount of money the state spends on drugs for prisoners. A federal judge in November ordered the Florida Department of Corrections to begin treating all prison inmates who test positive for hepatitis C virus with next-generation medications.

It’s estimated that between 20 to 40 percent of the 100,000 people in Florida state prisons have the hepatitis C virus. Treatment can cost $20,000.

The governor was accompanied in The Villages by House Speaker Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, and Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Mary Mayhew.

Oliva has made lowering health-care costs a top priority for the next two years. He has taken aim at Florida hospitals for being the primary drivers of increased costs and has pushed to eliminate regulations that he says give hospitals an unfair advantage over other health-care facilities, such as ambulatory surgical centers.

“There are tremendous efforts on behalf of interest groups to keep things as they are,” Oliva said. “And it takes the courage of the people that you all send up to Tallahassee to make a difference. So I can finally say, ‘We are all here and we’re going to make a difference.’ ”

by Christine Sexton, The News Service of Florida

Comments

6 Responses to “DeSantis Looks To Allow Floridians To Purchase Approved Drugs From Canada”

  1. tg on February 23rd, 2019 7:43 am

    Lets just allow Canadian Drug Stores in USA.

  2. not on drugs on February 21st, 2019 4:44 pm

    You shouldn’t take drugs, or the least amount necessary. If you average more than 1 pill a week, it’s probably too much.

  3. MiMi on February 21st, 2019 3:17 pm

    That would be Fantastic! My mother was actually purchasing her medication from Canada years ago. With that being said she actually was able to take all medications prescribed for her. Once they no longer gave folks that freedom she stopped taking certain meds because she could not afford US prices even with Medicare supplement policy. If this is true and possible to purchase medication thru Canada alot of folks will not struggle financially and will not stop taking needed medications. Thanks

  4. ROBERT on February 21st, 2019 2:28 pm

    My wife orders all our meds for our pets from canada because they are cheaper..Drugs for humans should get the same acceptance. Anything that saves money for our seniors trying to manage on a fixed income is a great thing.

  5. EP on February 21st, 2019 11:14 am

    awesome to have a governor fighting for things that can really make a difference for Floridians. if the election for governor had went the other way we would have been fighting for things like having sanctuary cities, high taxes, high crime, who wants that ?? scary the election was so close

  6. Niknak50 on February 21st, 2019 9:04 am

    “Sixteen years………………and has never been put into practice. Why??

    1. The pharmaceutical lobby
    2. The foot dragging FDA
    3. A useless do nothing congress, where the welfare of Americans is not a priority and never has been.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News