Colorado finally has federal permission to start importing cheaper prescription drugs from Canada, but the state may not have any sellers to work with.<\/p>\n
Lawmakers passed a bill in 2019<\/a> that directed the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to seek federal permission to import selected drugs, including the popular weight-loss medication Ozempic, at a nearly 50% discount.<\/p>\n The request slowly worked through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\u2019s process during the end of the first Trump administration and through the Biden years.<\/p>\n Gov. Jared Polis called Monday\u2019s FDA approval a \u201cvital first step\u201d toward saving consumers money. The state estimated importation could save about $46 million on 20 medications over three years.<\/p>\n \u201cNow more than ever, we need to call on drug manufacturers to step up to the plate and stop ripping off consumers with inflated drug costs by putting profits over people. Enough is enough,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/p>\n Canada has rules in place to prevent drug manufacturers from selling to U.S. buyers<\/a> if those sales could contribute to a shortage, however. The Canadian government places price controls on drugs, meaning they typically retail for less than in the United States.<\/p>\n In addition, major drug manufacturers\u2019 contracts generally don\u2019t allow their Canadian factories to sell to the American market.<\/p>\n Colorado is working with 10 drugmakers to encourage them to allow sales, said Marc Williams, spokesman for the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. They include Abbvie, Amgen, BMS, Gilead, Pfizer, J&J, Merck, Novo Nordisk, Vertex and Viiv Healthcare, he said.<\/p>\n Other medications approved for importation<\/a> include the cystic fibrosis drug Trikafta, the blood thinner Eliquis and the diabetes medication Januvia. Projected discounts range from 18% to 68%, depending on the medication.<\/p>\n Once the state has suppliers, it will start working on the process for Colorado pharmacies to participate, Williams said. Ultimately, patients would need to check if their pharmacy participates and if their health insurance covers imported drugs, he said. Any imported medications would have to go through quality testing before reaching patients.<\/p>\n Florida received permission to start importing<\/a> in January 2024, but has yet to bring any Canadian drugs to its residents. At least five other states have also requested authorization<\/a>.<\/p>\n