Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Wednesday that his state has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for delaying the approval of a program that would give Floridians access to cheaper medication.
DeSantis’ office announced in a news release that the lawsuit is a response to the FDA’s “unreasonable delay of more than 630 days in approving Florida’s proposal for its Canadian Prescription Drug Importation Program.”
Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration in Florida submitted a plan to the FDA to import cheaper drugs from Canada in 2020, according to the News Service of Florida.
But, as the release states, that was “nearly 21 months ago.”
Federal approval is the last challenge facing the AHCA plan, but “Florida’s ability to begin operating the Program is stuck in the starting blocks because of Defendant FDA, which must first approve the Program,” the lawsuit argues.
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The result has not been good for the Sunshine State, according to the governor’s news release.
“Florida has been ready to deliver cheaper prescription drugs to those that need them for nearly two years,” DeSantis in the release.
This plan has the potential to cut consumer costs, perhaps by half, by importing drugs from Canada, WFTS-TV reported.
The Trump administration supported this idea in 2020 and created two new pathways for states to apply for safe drug importation through the Department of Health and Human Services, according to the station.
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However, according to the News Service of Florida, the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America launched a legal challenge that’s still in federal court in Washington, the News Service of Florida reported.
In May 2021, the Biden administration sided with Florida and New Mexico — the only other state that has applied to begin accepting Canadian imports — and asked the court to dismiss the industry challenge, according to Politico.
But Florida still hasn’t gotten a response from the FDA.
“After 630 days, we still sit here waiting for…
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