'For too long American patients have been paying exorbitantly high prices for prescription drugs that are made available to other countries at lower prices,' Azar said in a statement on Wednesday.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced Wednesday morning that the Trump administration plans to allow Americans to legally import prescription drugs from Canada in an effort to reduce prices.
Azar detailed two different"pathways" for importing prescription drugs to American patients: The first would let states, wholesalers and pharmacies get approval from the Food and Drug Administration to import medications that are already sold in the U.S. The second initiative would make the FDA work on safety measures for drug manufacturers who want to bring the drugs they sell in foreign countries to the U.S.
"For too long American patients have been paying exorbitantly high prices for prescription drugs that are made available to other countries at lower prices," Azar added, crediting President Trump for pushing the idea of importing drugs from overseas. Azar was appointed to lead the HHS by Trump in November 2017. During his confirmation process, he faced a grilling by a Senate committee about his time as a pharma CEO, though the White House continued to defend him as a"outspoken longtime advocate for lower drug prices."
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
HHS Secretary Azar Statement on Drop in 2020 Medicare Drug PremiumsToday, HHS Secretary Alex Azar issued a statement regarding the Trump Administration’s announcement that the average basic premium for Medicare Part D prescription drug plans is projected to drop in 2020, the third straight year to see a decrease.
Read more »
HHS Announces New Action Plan to Lay Foundation for Safe Importation of Certain Prescription DrugsThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today that HHS and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are publishing a Safe Importation Action Plan that outlines two potential pathways that would lay the foundation for the safe importation of certain drugs originally intended for foreign markets.
Read more »
Secretary Azar Statement on Proposed Rule for Hospital Price TransparencyHealth and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar issued a statement on the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) & Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) proposed rule.
Read more »
The Latest: US plan to allow prescription drugs from CanadaThe Trump administration says it will set up a system allowing Americans to legally access lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar made the announcement Wednesday morning. Azar, a former drug industry executive, says U.S. patients will be able to import
Read more »
Trump is exploring ways to let the US import cheaper prescription drugs from CanadaThe goal is lower prices and lower spending for American patients, a top Trump administration official said.
Read more »