Importation of prescription drugs.
Existing law establishes the California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHSA), which includes departments charged with the administration of health, social, and other human services. Existing law requires CHHSA to enter into partnerships to increase patient access to affordable drugs and to produce or distribute generic prescription drugs and at least one form of insulin, as specified.
This bill would create the Affordable Prescription Drug Importation Program in CHHSA, under which the state would be a licensed wholesaler that imports prescription drugs, as specified, for the exclusive purpose of dispensing those drugs to state residents with a valid prescription. The bill would require CHHSA to seek federal approval for the importation program on or before June 1, 2022, and would require CHHSA to contract with at least one vendor to provide services under the importation program within 6 months of receiving federal approval. The bill would require a vendor to, among other things, establish a wholesale prescription drug importation list that identifies the prescription drugs that have the highest potential for cost savings to the state and identify and contract with eligible Canadian suppliers who have agreed to export prescription drugs on that list.
This bill would authorize an individual to import a prescription drug only for use by that individual or a member of that individual’s immediate family from a foreign pharmacy if specified requirements are met. The bill would prohibit an individual from, among other things, importing a prescription drug for resale or a controlled substance.