Colorado Seeks Vendors To Import Canadian Prescription Drugs

Colorado officials are seeking bids from vendors that can get the state's Canadian Drug Importation Program up and running. The chosen vendors will help guide the program's compliance, safety and prescription drug distribution, officials said.

The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing released an Invitation to Negotiate, which solicits multiple vendors to help 'operationalize' the program, officials said.

Under the new program, Coloradans would save, on average, more than 60 percent on prescription drugs, according to research conducted by the department. In some cases, people would save more than 90 percent, officials said.

The state passed Senate Bill 19-005 in 2019, which authorized the department to seek approval from the federal government to establish the importation program.

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Importation of certain prescription drugs was made possible through a change in federal policy in November 2020. The federal final rule implemented a provision of law that allows FDA-authorized programs to import some prescription drugs from Canada to Colorado.

“The U.S. pays the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs, and we are sick and tired of being ripped off," Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement. "Almost one in three Coloradans do not take their prescription drugs as directed because they can’t afford to."

“My administration will lead the way in changing that. Safely importing prescription drugs from Canada is one of the ways we can help Coloradans save money on health care.”

Colorado is one of several states that are implementing the importation programs.

One vendor will be responsible for compliance monitoring, communications and data collection, officials said. A second vendor, a Canadian wholesaler, will purchase prescription drugs for the Colorado market. A third vendor — an importer, a pharmacist or U.S. wholesaler —will work with the Canadian wholesaler to facilitate the importation of the prescription drugs into Colorado. The importer will also manage the drug distribution system, which includes ensuring imported products are tested to meet safety standards through the use of a qualified laboratory, the state said. The importer will also work with Colorado pharmacies to ensure Colorado consumers have access to imported products.

The bids are due April 26, and the state expects to award vendor contracts later this year, officials said.