Opinion: State drug importation laws undermine the process that keeps our supply chain safe
Three states — Vermont, Florida, and Colorado — recently passed laws that legalize the importation of prescription drugs. Other states are considering similar legislation. Legislators in those states believe that drugs can be safely sourced from Canada at costs lower than U.S. prices.
These new state laws conflict with and undermine our country’s in-progress national legislative and regulatory system for tracking and tracing drugs. This system was established six years ago to stop counterfeit drugs from entering the U.S. supply chain. We estimate that manufacturers, wholesalers, and pharmacies will ultimately spend billions to build this system, which is scheduled to be fully operational by 2023.
The U.S. track-and-trace system is designed to prevent the very problems that misguided state importation laws will create. It’s curious that Florida wants to bypass this system, given its notorious and troubled history with counterfeit and diverted drugs.
As experts in drug distribution, we believe that politicians are
