10 Canadian Pharmacies Apply to Nevada for Licenses To Sell Prescription Drugs to State Residents

Ten Canadian pharmacies have submitted applications to the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy seeking licenses to sell prescriptions drugs to state residents, officials said on Monday, the AP/Nevada Appeal reports (Bosshart, AP/Nevada Appeal, 8/23). Friday was the deadline to submit applications and a $500 filing fee. Louis Ling, general counsel for the pharmacy board, said he had expected no more than three applications (Ryan, Las Vegas Sun, 8/23). Under a state law that took effect July 1, Nevada residents will be able to purchase a 90-day supply of some medications from Canadian pharmacies through a state-run Web site (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 6/22). The pharmacy board will review the applications at its Sept. 7 and Sept. 8 meetings. Ling and a pharmacy inspector will conduct on-site inspections of the approved pharmacies during the week of Sept. 19. Consumers should be able to order drugs from licensed pharmacies through the Web site by the end of September, Ling said (AP/Nevada Appeal, 8/23). The site will include links to the pharmacies' Web sites and provide information on how to order prescriptions from the pharmacies. State residents will be able to fax their prescription to the Canadian pharmacies to be filled. Keith Macdonald, executive director of the pharmacy board, said consumers could save up to 40% by buying reimported prescription drugs, but he also noted that generics usually cost the same in Canada as in the U.S. (Las Vegas Sun, 8/23).