Hertig John B, Jochem Jade M, Long Allissa M
Butler University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN, 46208, USA.
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA, USA.
J Pharm Policy Pract. 2021 Dec 2;14(1):101. doi: 10.1186/s40545-021-00381-0.
The Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration released the Safe Importation Action Plan in July 2020 detailing methods to import medicines from Canada to combat increasing drug costs. In November 2020, Florida became the first state in the United States to create and propose an importation plan from Canada. This study examines the proposal submitted by Florida, Florida pharmacists' perceptions of the program on patient safety, and Florida pharmacists' thoughts on the pharmacy operational impact.
This was a cross-sectional study utilizing an electronic questionnaire sent to pharmacist members of the Florida Pharmacy Association. The survey incorporated closed-ended and open-ended questions. The results from the study were reported and analyzed through descriptive statistics, qualitative and quantitative data.
Two-hundred and forty-four pharmacists responded to the survey. Of those respondents, 25% stated they had no knowledge about Florida's drug importation plan. Less than 12% of respondents stated they would trust the safety and quality of imported medicines. Seventy percent of pharmacists expressed concerns regarding the changes required in pharmacy operations to increase medicine safety. About half of the respondents questioned whether this plan would promote cost-savings as intended.
Florida pharmacists believe the drug importation plan does not address all aspects of patient and medicine safety and expressed concerns regarding logistical operations of a pharmacy. This article highlights those concerns and acts as a summons to action.
美国卫生与公众服务部及食品药品监督管理局于2020年7月发布了《安全进口行动计划》，详细说明了从加拿大进口药品以应对不断上涨的药品成本的方法。2020年11月，佛罗里达州成为美国首个制定并提议从加拿大进口药品计划的州。本研究考察了佛罗里达州提交的提案、佛罗里达州药剂师对该计划对患者安全影响的看法以及他们对药房运营影响的想法。
这是一项横断面研究，通过向佛罗里达药剂师协会的药剂师成员发送电子问卷进行。该调查包含封闭式和开放式问题。研究结果通过描述性统计、定性和定量数据进行报告和分析。
244名药剂师回复了调查。在这些受访者中，25%表示他们对佛罗里达州的药品进口计划一无所知。不到12%的受访者表示他们会信任进口药品的安全性和质量。70%的药剂师对为提高药品安全性而在药房运营方面所需的改变表示担忧。约一半的受访者质疑该计划是否会如预期那样促进成本节约。
佛罗里达州的药剂师认为药品进口计划未能解决患者和药品安全的所有方面，并对药房的后勤运营表示担忧。本文突出了这些担忧，并起到了行动号召的作用。
