Summary
Florida’s plan to import lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada remains stalled nearly a year after FDA approval, with no timeline for implementation.
Despite Governor Ron DeSantis’ claims of victory over the drug industry, operational hurdles and resistance from Canadian officials, who fear domestic shortages, have hindered progress.
Florida has spent over $50 million on the program, meant to reduce costs for state agencies like Medicaid, but no drugs have been imported.
Critics highlight logistical complexities and minor projected savings, while similar efforts in other states, like Colorado, also face delays.
So he wants to import socialism from other countries? Doesn’t sound very American of him.
You don’t need anything resembling coherent “socialism” for this. Canada gets better drug prices because they negotiate for drugs collectively. That’s it. That’s what you have to do. That’s literally it. Marx would find it hilarious and sad that this is what is being characterized as “socialism”.
Seriously… Do you know what Canada does? The gov’t buys wholesale from pharmaceutical companies. That’s it. The Canadian gov’t runs a drug Costco on behalf of its citizens and we all save.
Why doesn’t Florida just negotiate their own wholesale drug prices from the manufacturers on its own? Why does it need Canada to do that for them?
It’s outsourcing the socialism to us so that he can sell it as a “free market” solution.
No, he wants to pretend to make meds cheaper in order to court fascists that can’t afford meds but otherwise are on board with his bigoted demagoguery.