FDA approves Florida plan to import drugs from Canada

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorized Florida’s drug importation program of certain prescription drugs from Canada that will allow reduced prices for Americans.

The FDA agreed that the program would reduce the cost of certain drugs to the American consumer without imposing additional risk to public health and safety.

Individuals can already buy medications directly from Canadian pharmacies, but Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wanted the state to purchase drugs in bulk for Medicaid programs, government clinics and prisons.

The FDA authorized Florida’s prescription drug import program for two years from the date the federal agency is notified of the first shipment of drugs. However, before drugs can be imported, Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration must meet certain requirements such as submitting drug-specific information for FDA review, ensuring that the drugs have been tested for FDA-approved drugs’ specifications and standards, and relabeling the medications to be consistent with the FDA labeling.