Partnership for Safe Medicines’ Statement on Governor DeSantis Signing Florida’s Drug Importation Bill
Washington, D.C. (June 11, 2019) – Shabbir Imber Safdar, executive director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines, released the following statement today in response to the signing of Florida’s drug importation bill:
“Today, Florida’s governor put politics over the safety of residents across the state. Although this was widely expected, we remain committed to protecting Americans against counterfeit medicines and the criminals who seek to harm innocent people to make a profit.
“Throughout the debate in Tallahassee, policymakers made a series of promises that will be impossible to keep. Among them: Floridians will get the same drugs that Canadians take, every batch will get lab tested and the existing track and trace system will protect these medications like it protects every other medication in America. There’s absolutely no chance that these promises become reality.
“In keeping with our mission of more than 15 years, we will make every effort to protect consumers and believe that those policymakers who stood against this bill will be proven right. Safety must always trump politics.”
About the Partnership for Safe Medicines
The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) is a public health group comprised of nearly 70 non-profit organizations that are committed to the safety of prescription drugs and protecting consumers against counterfeit, substandard or otherwise unsafe medicines. To learn more, visit www.safemedicines.org. To track progress of the implementation of Florida’s importation legislation, see PSM’s resource at https://www.safemedicines.org/florida-importation-2019
Contact:
Farheena Mustafa
(703) 477-4642
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