A bill creating a wholesale import program for prescription drugs passed through the New York state senate with bi-partisan support by a vote of 52 to 9 last week, but the Assembly has only one more day to take it up. The bill’s sponsor, North Rockland and Orange County’s James Skoufis, says under current federal law, states can get drugs wholesale from other countries if they meet U.S. safety standards. The program could cut costs for many prescriptions that New Yorkers need. Associate State Director for AARP New York, Joseph Stelling, says lawmakers need to do more…
Senator Skoufis says the program gives the state greater buying power, offering savings to pharmacies and their patients. The bill still needs to go through the Assembly.