Fort Lauderdale, Florida (AP) — After two years of lobbying to reduce the cost of prescription drugs for Florida people, Governor Ron DeSantis finalized on Friday from the Biden administration on drug imports from Canada He said he was waiting for approval. Millions of dollars.

The Republican governor signed a bill in 2019 permitting the import of prescription drugs from neighboring countries, but the plan required federal approval. State health authorities are working behind the scenes to meet federal guidelines.

DeSantis also met with then-President Donald Trump in 2019, noting that drug costs have risen by more than 150% over the last 15 years, and that the state seeks cheaper alternatives from other countries. DeSantis estimates that the program will save the state $ 80 to $ 150 million.

Imports are technically illegal, but many buy at least some of their medicines at pharmacies in Canada and Mexico. The idea of ​​permitting imports has been around for years, but previous attempts have been thwarted by lobbying in the pharmaceutical industry and safety concerns by government regulators.

In November, federal health officials ruled that the state would open more doors to pursue imports of prescription drugs. At that time, Canadian health officials questioned that their prescription drug market was too small to actually affect US prices.

In the same month, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and several other lobbying groups accused the federal government of being responsible for proving safety and cost savings to the state government, and new rules. Has filed a lawsuit against federal health authorities who disagree with.

The governor dismissed such criticism.

“If you’re trying to bring drugs from a badly-reputed country, I don’t want to go that route, but Canada has the same drugs,” he said. “They use very similar protocols and it is clear that a process is needed to ensure quality.”

DeSantis said the state meets all the regulations needed to import drugs. “This is currently under consideration for six months, and was told that if it wasn’t rejected last week, it could be expected to be approved,” he said at a press conference in Lakeland.

Joel White, chairman of the Affordable Health Insurance Council, one of the lobbying groups of pharmaceutical companies that challenged the plan, said the plan “made a false promise that costs would go down as a result.” Bring it to people. “

“Healthcare providers, pharmacists, and the patients they serve may no longer be confident that the drugs they prescribe and dispense are safe and effective,” White said.

The Florida Healthcare Administration is working with the federal government to meet all import requirements, claiming that Florida was the first to do so.

The state is also lining up contractors they say can act swiftly and fill the shelves with Canadian medicine in just 90 days if the program is approved. Desantis will be in central Florida on Friday. A press conference was held at a pharmaceutical warehouse built by Life Sciences Logistics for an import program.

No one immediately replied to an email sent to President Joe Biden’s administration’s health authorities asking for the latest information on the program.

If approved, the state states that it will start with a limited number of drug classes, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or maintenance drugs for COPD. Diabetes, HIV and AIDS, and mental illness in people receiving state care, such as satoko, state prison inmates, and certain older patients.

The program will then be expanded to medicine for all Medicaid beneficiaries.