Florida’s drug importation plan will lower prescription costs
Floridians were not happy last year when our state lawmakers passed, and Gov. Ron DeSantis touted, new pro-Big Pharma regulations. These regulations were bad for those in the state that hoped for more affordable health care. Among other things, the law cracked down on pharmacy benefit companies that force pharmaceutical giants to keep prescription drug costs down.
Chris Ingram [ Provided ]
Despite Floridians complaining about the high cost of health care for years, state lawmakers (wittingly or not) sided with the interests of large pharmaceutical companies instead of doing what was best for their constituents — making it even more difficult for Floridians to afford their medications at a time when 3 in 10 of them are already rationing their doses.
While Florida’s leaders still have a long way to go to rebuild a sense of trust with their constituents when it comes to health care policy, earlier this month, Gov. DeSantis brought the government’s relationship with the people a massive step forward by bucking Big Pharma on its most significant lobbying fight — its longtime push to stop Florida from importing cheaper drugs from other countries.
Floridians will now be able to buy some low-cost drugs from Canada. The Sunshine State is the first in the nation to offer this option. Experts say this could mark a major shift in the ways in which government officials at the federal and state level try to lower health care costs. That’s bad news for Big Pharma.
Canada has cheaper drugs than the United States because the government is able to negotiate directly with the companies to secure lower costs. The pharmaceutical giants don’t want any negotiations to occur in the U.S., whether it’s the government or private entities on the other end. That’s why they target entities that try to lower drug prices like pharmacy benefit companies, the third party companies that try to lower drug prices by purchasing drugs in bulk and negotiating with the drug manufacturers on health plans’ behalf.
DeSantis suing the FDA to open up Florida’s market to Canadian drugs will encourage competition and shakes up Big Pharma’s monopoly. That monopoly doesn’t want Floridians, or any Americans in fact, to have access to cheaper drugs from Canada. It tries its best to stifle competition so the industry can rake in massive profits at the expense of vulnerable patients. So it’s understandable why it is lobbying in protest of the governor’s move, but, thanks to DeSantis, justice will prevail.
Unfortunately, many of our federal lawmakers still bend to Big Pharma’s interests, leaving ordinary Americans with a higher bill to pay. That’s why it takes legal action to get them to serve the interests of the public.
The FDA would’ve likely been content to maintain Big Pharma’s stranglehold of Florida’s drug market, but DeSantis’ aggressive actions made them change. This should signal a new development in how Americans obtain the drugs they need.
Allowing Floridians to purchase outside of the confines set by Big Pharma increases market competition and decreases the cost of essential health care. It’s a no-brainer to open up the market to more options. Only those in the pocket of the biggest drug manufacturers would disagree.
Spend your days with Hayes
Subscribe to our free Stephinitely newsletter
Columnist Stephanie Hayes will share thoughts, feelings and funny business with you every Monday.
You’re all signed up!
Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.
Explore all your options
Hopefully, DeSantis will follow this move by rolling back his state’s previous pro-Big Pharma giveaways, including its regulations on pharmacy benefit companies. Doing so would allow Florida to have one of the fairest and freest health care marketplaces in the country. That would be a blessing for every resident, especially its senior population. The Florida health care community will be watching closely.
Chris Ingram is a Tampa-based Republican political strategist and commentator.
No Byline Policy
Editorial Guidelines
Corrections Policy
Source