Florida has a healthcare affordability crisis on its hands. The Sunshine State has some of the highest premium costs in the United States and percentage of parents who cannot afford to pay their children’s medical bills — not to mention one of the largest populations of seniors and fixed-income Americans who cannot keep up with the ever-growing inflationary costs of healthcare today.
Governor DeSantis recognizes this sad reality. That is why he recently forced the FDA to approve a plan for Florida to import prescription drugs from Canada.
For over twenty years, members of Congress have attempted to allow citizens to purchase prescription drugs from Canada, where drugs can cost four times less than the same ones found here in Florida because of price controls Canada has implemented, but DeSantis used the power of his executive branch to finally make it happen in the Sunshine State.
Governor Ron DeSantis' proactive stance against the monopoly of Big Pharma has been a defining feature of his administration's approach to healthcare reform in Florida. His effort to dismantle the stronghold major pharmaceutical companies, which continue to raise the cost of Florida’s drugs beyond the general inflation rate, have over this state’s drug pricing has ignited a broader discussion on healthcare innovation and accessibility within the state and beyond.
That is why the governor can’t just end his effort to stop Big Pharma’s anti-competitive activities with drug importation. To maximize the potential of his new importation plan, he must also tame Big Pharma’s instate monopoly through enacting other deregulatory policies that will allow Florida’s prescription drug marketplace to finally grow and thrive.
Read: Florida Gov. DeSantis Signs Major Health Care Package
For starters, he should make it more difficult for the big pharmaceutical companies to continue boxing cheaper generic drug manufacturers out of the marketplace through patent manipulation.
According to the Association for Accessible Medications, Florida saved nearly $24 billion in 2021 through these medications. That is exactly why the Big Pharma is doing everything they can to stop their use.
A recent I-MAK report found that the top 12 most profitable drugs in the U.S. have over 120 patent applications filed and over 70 granted. Even though the law says their patents can only last two decades, the drugmakers continue extending these patents indefinitely by making very small changes to their products and positing them as new innovations. This is anti-competitive to the core, and it’s costing Floridians millions. The DeSantis administration should work closely with Florida’s consumer protection agencies to investigate this patent manipulation and explore what actions — antitrust and otherwise — they can take to rectify it.
To put even greater downward pressure on Big Pharma’s products, Gov. DeSantis and his administration should also expand the use of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) in the state.
PBMs — bulk drug purchasers often hired by governments — operate on a business model that is similar to membership-based wholesale retailers like Sam's Club or Costco. Just as these retailers leverage bulk buying to negotiate lower prices for their members, PBMs secure more favorable terms and lower costs from drug manufacturers. One recent National Bureau of Economic Research study found that they save the American people at least $145 billion annually. If allowed to operate more freely in Florida, they can negotiate bulk purchase agreements with these new Canadian suppliers and manufacturers — enhancing the cost savings derived from the governor’s importation initiative to make medications even more affordable for Floridians.
Pushing these anti-Big Pharma measures forward will place Florida at the vanguard of policy innovation, paving the way for a healthcare system where affordability and accessibility are not only ideals but achievable realities for all Sunshine State residents.
As Florida continues to navigate the complexities of healthcare reform, the success of its efforts will resonate beyond its borders, encouraging a national reevaluation of healthcare affordability and access. It will ignite a broader dialogue on the need for systemic changes within the U.S. healthcare system, marking a step toward a future where high-quality healthcare is a universal standard.
Claudia Coy is a Riverview-based nurse
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