Pharmacy organizations raise concerns about Florida's drug importation program

News provided by

Jan 17, 2024, 16:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Our pharmacy organizations are deeply concerned about FDA's recent authorization of a state drug importation program, which could open the door for harmful and counterfeit drugs to enter our nation's drug supply, with no evidence that this will result in cost savings for our patients.

FDA recently authorized Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration to import certain drugs under specific conditions. Under current law, FDA can only authorize importation if the program will significantly reduce the cost to the American consumer without imposing additional risk to public health and safety. FDA's announcement did not contain any data or information that assure that this standard has been met.

While our organizations share concerns regarding the high cost of medicines in the United States, patient safety should not be compromised under any circumstance. As pharmacists, we are on the front lines protecting our nation's drug supply chain and ensuring the delivery of safe and effective medicines to our patients. State importation programs introduce several opportunities for mix-ups, mishandling, mislabeling, and other rogue activity that would place some of our most vulnerable patient communities at risk.

Pharmacists have been working with manufacturers and wholesalers for over ten years to implement the Drug Supply Chain and Security Act (DSCSA), a law that requires tracing of drugs through the supply chain by creating a closed drug distribution system in the U.S. to protect patients from receiving harmful drugs. DSCSA imposes protections and requires documentation that follows the drug from the manufacturer to the pharmacy, so it is clear who owned the product, and that the product is legitimate. Canada does not have a similar law, leaving our drug supply chain at risk under Florida's program.

We look forward to continuing to work with FDA and other policymakers to implement meaningful solutions to lower the high cost of prescription drugs without compromising patient safety.

American Pharmacists Association	National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations
Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy	National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy	National Community Pharmacists Association
American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists	Society of Infectious Disease Pharmacists
American College of Clinical Pharmacy	Alabama Pharmacy Association
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists	Alaska Pharmacy Association
Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association	Alabama Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc
Arizona Pharmacy Association	Arkansas Association of Health-System Pharmacists
Arkansas Pharmacists Association	Colegio de Farmaceuticos de Puerto Rico
California Pharmacists Association	Colorado Pharmacists Society
Colorado Pharmacists Society	East Alabama Health
Connecticut Pharmacists Association	Georgia Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Delaware Pharmacists Society	Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists
Georgia Pharmacy Association	Kansas Council of Health-System Pharmacy
Hawaii Pharmacists Association	Kentucky Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Illinois Pharmacists Association	Louisiana Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Indiana Pharmacy Association	Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Iowa Pharmacy Association	Minnesota Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Kansas Pharmacists Association	Mississippi Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Kentucky Pharmacists Association	Missouri Society of Health-System Pharmacist
Maine Pharmacy Association	New Jersey Society of Health-System Pharmacy
Maryland Pharmacists Association	New York State Council of Health-System Pharmacists
Michigan Pharmacists Association	Pennsylvania Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Minnesota Pharmacists Association	Rhode Island Society of Health System Pharmacists
Mississippi Pharmacists Association	Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Missouri Pharmacy Association	Virginia Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Montana Pharmacy Association	Vermont Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Nebraska Pharmacists Association	Washington State Pharmacy Association
Nevada Pharmacy Alliance
New Jersey Pharmacists Association
North Carolina Association of Pharmacists
North Dakota Pharmacists Association
Ohio Pharmacists Association
Oklahoma Pharmacists Association
Oregon State Pharmacy Association
Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association
Pharmacists Society of the State of New York
Rhode Island Pharmacists Association
South Carolina Pharmacy Association
South Dakota Pharmacists Association
Tennessee Pharmacists Association
Utah Pharmacy Association
Virginia Pharmacy Association
Washington D.C. Pharmacy Association
Washington State Pharmacy Association
West Virginia Pharmacists Association
Wyoming Pharmacy Association