By Ted Rosen, MD
As pointed out by Larry Eichenfield, MD, during today’s acne panel at Maui Derm 2024, recently approved novel agents provide real advances in therapeutic benefit. However, access to these innovations remains frustrating due to insurance and price considerations. We have long known that many identical drugs are available in Canada at considerable savings. Today, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the very first state program (Florida) to directly import select drugs from Canada. The approval requires the state to submit quarterly reports verifying cost savings and to note any reported adverse events.
The program also places additional administrative burdens on Florida. The state must submit additional information about the drugs, make sure that imported drugs have been sufficiently tested to meet FDA standards, and replace all Canadian package inserts with FDA-approved ones.
Despite the red tape involved, this program may eventually lead to lower cost (either due to the imported drugs themselves or lower prices on U.S. drugs due to competition) and thereby facilitate access to agents currently beyond the easy reach of Americans. The Dermatology Digest views this as a hopeful, albeit small, step in the right direction.
Ted Rosen, MD, is a Professor of Dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and the Medical Editor of the Dermatology Digest.
