New Trump administration plan would let patients import cheaper drugs from Canada

While the pharmaceutical industry remains under fire for sky-high medication prices, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced on Wednesday morning that the Trump administration will set up a system allowing Americans to legally access prescription drugs from Canada.

The decision seeks to allow U.S. patients to access their prescriptions at a lower cost, while doing so safely with oversight from the Food and Drug Administration, The Associated Press reports. States, drug wholesalers, and pharmacists would reportedly act as intermediaries for consumers.

"The landscape and the opportunities for safe linkage between drug supply chains has changed," Azar said. "That is part of why, for the first time in HHS's history, we are open to importation. We want to see proposals from states, distributors, and pharmacies that can help accomplish our shared goal of safe prescription drugs at lower prices."

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AP reports that the move is a step toward fulfilling one of President Trump's campaign promises of lowering prescription drug prices, which he also intends to make a top priority in 2020. It would also weaken the "political clout" of the pharmaceutical industry, AP reports.

It's not clear when consumers will see results, as Azar said the regulatory process could potentially take "weeks and months" — he called on Congress to pass legislation to expedite the process and even "short-circuit attempts to overturn the changes in court." Read more at The Associated Press.