Texas State Senate Passes Dangerous Foreign Drug Importation Program

Legislation awaits Governor’s signature

Policy violates federal Track and Trace regulations, endangers patients, and creates new liability for pharmacists

 

May 22, 2023 (Washington, DC) – With the passage of HB 25 in the Texas State Senate and Governor Abbott’s impending signature, Texas is poised to become the seventh state in the U.S. to attempt to create a program to import medicine from Canada. This policy has failed in six other states, cost taxpayers millions of dollars, and drawn opposition from the Canadian government.

“Texas’ Canadian drug importation program will put patients in harm’s way, break federal ‘track and trace’ regulations, and make pharmacists legally and financially liable for unknowingly dispensing counterfeit medications,” said Shabbir Imber Safdar, executive director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines.

PSM has carefully tracked foreign drug importation proposals for two decades. As the leading advocacy organization on the subject of counterfeit medicines, PSM’s work has found that importation programs cost more money than they save due to existing government rebate programs, exclusions for the highest cost medicines, and the significant infrastructure required for implementation.

With HB 25 awaiting the governor’s signature, PSM has begun tracking the implementation of the program on its website at https://www.safemedicines.org/texas-importation-2023.

About the Partnership for Safe Medicines

The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) is a public health group comprised of non-profit organizations that handle medicine from the factory floor to the patient and are committed to the safety of prescription drugs. To learn more, visit www.safemedicines.org.

 

Media Contact

Shabbir Imber Safdar, executive director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines, is available to speak to reporters and outlets covering this legislation. Contact him at editors@safemedicines.org to arrange an interview.

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