Dear Commissioner Hahn:

On behalf of the Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA), we appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the importation of prescription drugs from Canada. HSCA is dedicated to ensuring patient access to affordable healthcare, and we applaud FDA for taking steps to reduce prescription drug costs, support greater competition, and ensure patient safety.

HSCA represents the nation’s leading healthcare group purchasing organizations (GPOs), the sourcing and purchasing partners to virtually all of America’s 7,000+ hospitals, as well as the vast majority of the 68,000+ long-term care facilities, surgery centers, clinics, and other healthcare providers. GPOs work with healthcare providers to negotiate competitive prices and support a safe and reliable supply of healthcare products. We play a critical role in helping to lower costs for patients, providers, payers, Medicare and Medicaid, and taxpayers. One report estimated that GPOs reduce supply-related purchasing costs by 13.1 percent annually and will reduce healthcare spending by up to $34.1 billion annually and up to $456.6 billion over the next ten years. The value that GPOs deliver allows healthcare providers and physicians to focus on their core mission: providing first-class patient care.

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