The Biden administration is urging a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit that could stand in the way of states allowing prescriptions drugs to be imported from Canada.
The Griffith Park incident has emerged as yet another source of conflict over the city’s handling of its recreation areas during a huge homelessness crisis.Florida and New Mexico are the only two states thus far to formally ask the U.S. government to allow federally approved drugs to be imported from Canada, arguing that doing so would save Americans millions of dollars.
“Although two proposals have been submitted to FDA, no timeline exists for the agency to make a decision,” the government’s motion states.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Floridians could save as much as $150 million in drug costs in the program’s first year. In November, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under then-President Trump issued a ruling, which DeSantis said was based largely on Florida’s plan, further opening the door for states to pursue importing prescription drugs. That same month, the trade group filed its lawsuit.
The Florida governor has increasingly taken a combative tone against the Biden administration as he positions himself as one of his party’s leading critics of the current White House.“It is disappointing that the FDA appears to have no timeline to review any state importation proposals as referenced in today’s filing,” the governor’s statement said. “Floridians have been waiting long enough for lower drug prices, and there is no good reason to keep them waiting.