WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th December, 2019) US President Donald Trump and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that they are moving forward with a plan to lower prescription drug prices in the United States by allowing imports of certain Canadian drugs, the HHS said in a press release.
"Today's announcement outlines two pathways for the safe importation of certain prescription drugs to help provide safe, effective, more affordable drugs to American patients," HHS Secretary Alex Azar said.
In issuing a notice of proposed rulemaking, Trump and the HHS also outlined new draft guidance for industry that describes procedures drug manufacturers can follow to facilitate importation of prescription drugs that are have been approved by the food and Drug Administration (FDA), manufactured abroad, authorized for sale in any foreign country and originally intended for sale in that foreign country, the statement said.
The HHS emphasized in the release that the imported medications would be subject to stringent testing to comply with FDA regulations and to ensure authenticity.
In 2017, the Commonwealth Fund released the results of a study that found the United States has the highest prescription drug spending per capita or $1,011.40. Canada was in the middle of nine high-income countries surveyed with $669.30 in prescription drug spending per capita.
