Florida sues FDA over Canadian drug importation program

Aug. 31 (UPI) -- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that his state is suing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, arguing that the agency has hampered Florida's attempt to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada.

The complaint alleges that for two years, the FDA has held up Florida's application to import medicines that would treat diabetes, Hepatitis C, HIV and other illnesses, Politico reported.

"It's hard to even meet with people at the FDA, very dismissive, very arrogant with how they have gone about this stuff," DeSantis said at a press conference in Lakeland, Fla. "But our view is we need to keep pressing forward. After 630 days, we still sit here waiting for an answer and so it's our view we have waited long enough. Today we are taking action."

The law, which Florida's legislature implemented in 2019, could save up to $150 million a year, mostly for the Medicaid program.

In July 2021 President Joe Biden signed an executive order that would authorize drug imports, but Florida's plan to do so has still not received authorization.

"This has been a frustrating process from the macro to the micro," Simone Marstiller, secretary of Florida's Agency for Healthcare Administration, said at the Lakeland press conference. "My team and I have had so many meetings with the FDA it's not even funny. But all we have gotten is word salad, bureaucracy, stonewalling, stiff arming, and stall tactics."

Importing drugs from Canada is cheaper because Canada has a panel that negotiates drug prices, according to Business Insider.

On average, a person in the United States spends $1,310 per person on prescription drugs, while in Canada a person spends $868 per year.