Texans struggling with skyrocketing medication costs could see relief under a new program that allows distributors to import cheaper drugs from Canada.
House Bill 25 creates the “Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation Program.” The state’s Health and Human Services Commission would contract with Canadian drug wholesalers and suppliers to bring safe, eligible prescription drugs to Texas consumers at prices far cheaper than U.S. wholesalers.
Although the law technically goes into effect on Sept. 1, federal drug regulators are moving at a glacial pace to set up programs with the states that want them. Texas won’t have its program fully designed until next year, much less approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and implemented, state health officials say.
