State senate to consider bills allowing purchase of wholesale meds from Canada

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR/KCND) – The North Dakota Senate Human Services Committee will hold hearings on three bills designed to help lower prescription costs.

Two of the bills would allow North Dakota to buy medications wholesale from Canada.

A third bill would use price data from the four most populous Canadian provinces to compare with U.S. drug prices, and set the lowest price as the referenced rate for payers in North Dakota.

The programs would be administered by either the Health Department or the Board of Pharmacy.

Josh Askvig of AARP says the average older North Dakotan takes 4 ½ prescription drugs for chronic conditions.

Askvig says an AARP survey also showed 44 percent of respondents  decided not to fill a prescription because of the cost of the drug.