The Food and Drug Administration’s unprecedented approval of Florida’s plan to import drugs from Canada was made possible only after Alex Azar, as the Trump administration’s Health and Human Services secretary, certified that bringing medicines over the border could be done safely.

Azar made the historic declaration in September 2020, just two months before his boss, former President Donald Trump, lost reelection.

Now, Azar’s involved in the business of making importation happen. He is chairman of the board of LifeScience Logistics, a Dallas-based company that Florida is paying as much as $39 million to help manage its Canadian drug importation program, not including the cost of drugs.

LifeScience officials confirmed Azar’s position but didn’t respond to questions about how much he is paid or whether he’s involved in the Florida work. Azar didn’t return messages left with his employers or sent to a personal email address.

  • HuddaBudda@kbin.social
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    10 months ago

    I’d say that big pharma has too bit of a stranglehold on American politics that it is almost impossible to fight American drug companies using the status quo.

    The drug industry’s major lobbying group, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA, previously sued to stop Azar’s importation decision. It’s expected to file suit to block Florida’s program as well.

    Also, I do not believe there will be a supply shortage, I imagine Canada’s prices might go up as there becomes more of a reliance. But a supply shortage is a huge leap. If they have the medicine to sell, let them. Free market and shit.

    Drugmakers argue the policy puts patients at risk of consuming counterfeit medicines.

    If this was a huge deal, they would have gone after Amazon and supplementals years ago.