U.S. to allow lowercost medicines from Canada
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Wednesday it will create a pathway allowing Americans to legally and safely import lowercost prescription drugs from Canada for the first time, reversing years of opposition from federal health authorities amid a public outcry over high prices for lifesustaining medications.
The move is a step toward fulfilling a 2016 campaign promise by President Trump, and it weakens an import ban that stood as a symbol of the political clout of the pharmaceutical industry. It’s unclear how soon consumers will see benefits, as the plan has to go through timeconsuming regulatory approval and later could face court challenges from drugmakers.
It comes as the industry is facing a crescendo of consumer complaints over prices, as well as legislation from both parties in Congress to rein in costs, along with a sheaf of proposals from the Democratic presidential contenders. Ahead of the 2020 election, Trump is feeling pressure to deliver on years of harsh rhetoric about the pharmaceutical industry.
Making the announcement Wednesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the administration’s decision recognizes that prescription drug manufacturing and distribution is now international.
“The landscape and the opportunities for safe linkage between drug supply chains has changed,” Azar said. “That is part of why, for the first time in HHS’s history, we are open to importation.”
Most patients take affordable generic drugs to manage conditions such as high blood pressure or elevated blood sugars. But polls show concern about the prices of breakthrough medications for intractable illnesses like cancer or hepatitis C infection, whose annual costs can run to $100,000 or much more. And longavailable drugs like insulin have seen serial price increases that forced some people with diabetes to ration their own doses.
Drug prices are lower in other economically advanced countries because governments take a leading role in setting prices. But in the U.S., Medicare is not permitted to negotiate with drug companies.