7/31/2019

CANADA/DRUGS/FDA/PHARMA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration said on Wednesday [7-31-19] that it was taking steps to make it easier to import less expensive prescription drugs from other countries, particularly Canada. The move has long been supported by progressives but has encountered fierce opposition from the pharmaceutical industry. The proposal would permit pilot programs developed by states, pharmacies or drug distributors that sought to safely import prescription medications from Canada. The Food and Drug Administration also planned to advise manufacturers on how they could import high-priced drugs like insulin that are sold more cheaply in other countries…The rising price of prescription drugs has been a popular topic at the Democratic presidential debates, and the timing of the administration’s announcement fell in the middle of the Tuesday-Wednesday schedule of this month’s debates for the Democratic candidates.”

Katie Thomas, “Trump Administration Weighs Allowing Drug Imports for Cheaper Prescriptions,” The New York Times online, July 31, 2019