Nevada To Approve Canadian Pharmacies To Sell Drugs to State Residents
Nevada State Board of Pharmacy officials in September plan to approve the first applications from Canadian pharmacies to sell lower-cost prescription drugs to state residents, but "many questions remain unanswered," the Las Vegas Sun reports (Ryan, Las Vegas Sun, 7/18). Under a law (SB 5) enacted by Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn (R) in June, the board will license and inspect Canadian pharmacies that will appear on a Web site established by the Governor's Office for Consumer Health Assistance to help state residents purchase medications. State residents can purchase a 90-day supply of FDA-approved medications through the Web site (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 6/22). Last week, Louis Ling, counsel for the board, and Larry Pinson, incoming executive director of the board, met with about 35 representatives from about 20 Canadian pharmacies and a number of government officials during a two-day visit in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to discuss the Canadian prescription drug industry. Ling called the meetings "productive," but he added, "We still need to learn a lot more." Ling plans to report to the board at a meeting in Las Vegas on Wednesday and Thursday. Ling said that he could not comment on whether the plans to approve the first applications from Canadian pharmacies by September are "off or on," but he added, "I am treating it as it is still on." The staff of the board would inspect Canadian pharmacies after approval of their applications, and those pharmacies could begin to sell prescription drugs to state residents after they passed the inspections. Nevada Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley (D) said the board should license "the reputable" Canadian pharmacies that currently sell prescription drugs to residents of other states. "Consumer protection is a main goal," Buckley said, adding, "We want to start with good firms" (Las Vegas Sun, 7/18).
This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.