Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a lawsuit Wednesday against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for allegedly kneecapping the state’s plan to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada.
The Republican-controlled Florida legislature passed the drug bill in 2019, but federal officials at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must sign off on the plan before it can be implemented. The lawsuit alleges that federal officials are holding up the implementation of the plan, which they estimate would save Floridians as much as $150 million annually. It further states that the FDA is “dragging its feet” and “protecting big pharmaceutical companies.” DeSantis’ team filed the lawsuit in a federal court in Tampa, with the goal of forcing the HHS and FDA to make a final determination on the plan.
The FDA has unreasonably delayed approval of our Canadian Prescription Drug Importation Program – which lowers prescription drug costs for Floridians. It was approved by Trump in 2020, and today we filed a lawsuit to end the FDA delay.
We have had enough of Biden’s bureaucracy. pic.twitter.com/egw2pEO2kY
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) August 31, 2022
DeSantis said the Biden administration’s lack of urgency is costing his constituents money. “Florida has been ready to deliver cheaper prescription drugs to those that need them for nearly two years,” he said in a statement. “The lack of transparency by the Biden administration during the approval process, and failure to provide records on the importation proposal, is costing Floridians who are facing rising prices across the board due to inflation.”
Proponents of the plan point out that the drugs will still have to meet FDA standards and that currently available drugs in the U.S. get a majority of their ingredients from foreign countries. The pharmaceutical lobby has opposed the plan, calling it unsafe, according to the Associated Press. (RELATED: Renowned Molecular Biologist Accuses Fauci Of Lying To Congress About Gain-Of-Function Research)
High drug prices have long been a hot-button issue in the U.S., with cheaper drugs often available in other countries. President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act earlier this month, which includes a major overhaul of the healthcare system aimed at lowering drug costs.