HHS opens door to possibility of importing some drugs to drive down prices

JULY 19, 2018

HHS opens the door to importing drugs to lower prices

HHS is forming a working group to look into the idea of importing drugs from other countries when there's a price spike for a drug that's produced by one manufacturer and isn't protected by patents or exclusivities. Health secretary Alex Azar, who has previously opposed the idea, made it clear the Trump administration plans to change the policy at some point. “I told the FDA commissioner, I said, ‘I insist that you find a pathway to make this happen,'” he said in a Fox Business Network interview. “I believe we can do it in a way that is safe, effective, leading to results, and that preserves innovation. So make it happen and make it happen quickly.”

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said that any policy would be "narrowly tailored" to keep counterfeit and unsafe drugs out. The long-term goal, from his point of view: have multiple FDA-approved versions of every medically important drug to keep competition up and prices down.