The Trump administration jumped into a fight with drugmakers Wednesday by promising to allow importation of cheaper drugs from Canada and other countries, advancing an idea the pharmaceutical industry and many members of the president’s party have long opposed.
"Rather than surrender the safety of Americans by importing failed polices from single-payer countries, we should work on solutions here at home that would lower patient out-of-pocket costs at the pharmacy counter," said Stephen Ubl, CEO of Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America, in a statement.By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time.
In addition, FDA will provide manufacturers the opportunity to offer a lower price for imported versions of drugs they sell overseas. This might include medications like insulin for diabetes and drugs for rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disorders and cancer, HHS said. This second pathway, which will require FDA to write new guidance "in the coming months," would potentially be open to all products and countries, Sharpless said.
Some Senate Democrats pointed out that the administration has refused to support direct government negotiations with drugmakers — a top priority for them — while now advancing a plan to import medicines from a country that does. The Trump administration this month faced a couple of high-profile defeats in its push to lower drug costs. A federal judge threw out a rule that would have required drugmakers to disclose list prices in TV ads. Days later, the administration withdrew a rule that would have required insurers and companies managing drug benefits to provide any discounts directly to patients in most government health plans.
I bet they do..lol
Unable to fix the problem at home?
Now say why pharma's opposition is absurd. It's not like Canadians are dying from faulty prescriptions en masse
I know Trump said he’s going to lower drug prices. But he says a lot of things... I’ll believe it when I see it. He’s all talk and no action
Never gonna happen. Just another headline announcement. No insulin in this announcement and pharma won't let big profit drugs that are high use. Big Pharma owns this administration.
Trump2020
I’m predicting that he’ll back track just like when the NRA talked to him
Canadians are lashing Trump for his plan.
45 is scared of Bernie this week
No! No! No! Doing that will create a shortage here & more than likely raise our prices. He promised you that he would fix your drug prices with the pharmaceutical industry. Maybe he should play less golf, watch less TV & tweet less so he has time to do that.
Jeez, ppl already go by droves to Mexico to get cheaper drugs. But I’m sure most Americans wouldn’t want cheaper drugs from brown countries... heavens!
There is Soooo Much money to make off the Desperate and Dying!. Hard to believe the Potus going against One of his masters!. Will have to see it to believe it!
Hey make him and under the table deal and he might move on it. He does it with Saudi Arabia.
Big Pharma needs to up its nightly stays at Trump International DC
I don’t think he said that I think he told them just to cross the border and buy Canadian
Just like a Trump health plan, a middle class tax cut and a pullout from Syria.
In cae you haven't been paying attention... Canada opposes it also as they will have a shortage if they attempt to ship to the US.
This sounds like good policy. Cowardly 45 will likely back down and flip-flop by the end of the week.
That’s why it will never happen! It’s all bullshit talk like the administration gives a shit
Big Pharma have held a monopoly on drug prices for far too long, time to open up the borders to competitors or force U.S. drug companies to lower their prices. PeopleOverProfits
Why didn't Obama think of this?
Dude how does a major news org get away with egregious spelling errors? I spell check myself, and I barely have 200 followers...
Finally doing something!
Good 45.
This is the first time I have agreed with him.
There it is. I 2as wondering when the other shoe was gonna drop.
realDonaldTrump stop ruining our Beautiful Country. It’s not MAGA its embarrassing the World Laughs At you
Winning
If the pharmaceutical industry opposes it, I assume it's good for the people
Now libs will love pharmaceutical companies