Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sued the Biden administration on Wednesday over alleged delays in his state’s attempts to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada, saying he hopes Floridians aren’t punished for political differences.
The Republican governor addressed the FDA’s review of an application to import medications to treat a variety of ailments from Canada as part of the Canadian drug importation program. He made his remarks from Lakeland, a city near Tampa.
“I’d hate to think that the Biden admin would not approve it just because it’s Florida because they have issues with Florida politically,” he said, “because this will benefit people… regardless of political persuasion.”
According to Politico, Florida will be the first state to apply for the program in November of 2020.
The program was mandated by an executive order signed by President Biden in July 2021 and directing the FDA to begin rollout.
As of March, Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Simone Marstiller had already waited 500 days for the FDA to approve Florida’s application.
“This has been sitting on someone’s desk for 600 days,” Marstiller said on Wednesday. Not doing this is not what governments are supposed to do.
“We’ve been waiting for an answer for 630 days, you know. Therefore, we believe the time for waiting is over, “On Wednesday, DeSantis made his statement. “The public has a legitimate interest in knowing what the FDA has been up to for the past two years. Are politics taking precedence over people’s health? What about the interests of regular Floridians, or do they prioritize the interests of Big Pharma?”
Florida health officials estimate a yearly savings of $150 million if more low-cost pharmaceuticals could be imported into the state.
Gov. DeSantis‘s plan to import drugs from Canada could cut prices in half for consumers. The Trump administration supported this idea in 2020 when it made two new ways for states to apply for safe importation through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
In 2021, the Biden Administration upheld the motion when it threw out a lawsuit that the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America had filed against the drugs, saying that they were unsafe.
About 28% less money is spent on drugs in Canada than in the United States. DeSantis said on Wednesday that Florida would be filing a lawsuit demanding that the FDA grant approval.
