Bill > H1027

This bill directs the governor or their designee to request a waiver from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to allow the office of pharmaceutical information to act as an agent for Massachusetts residents seeking to purchase prescription drugs from Canada. If this waiver is granted, the office of pharmaceutical information, within the department of public health, will be established to provide information on purchasing prescription drugs, including from Canadian sources, provided those sources are licensed by appropriate Canadian agencies. This office will maintain a registry of licensed Canadian suppliers, their distributors, and their U.S. agents, and will only advise on drugs approved by Canadian federal agencies and packaged in tamper-proof containers. To ensure safety, the office will only assist consumers purchasing prescriptions for personal use, not for resale, in quantities of 90 days or less, and with a valid prescription. The office can also study the import process, serve as a point for reporting safety concerns or adverse events, and may require residents to sign a consent agreement acknowledging potential risks and suppliers to sign an indemnification agreement. The department of public health is authorized to create regulations to implement these provisions.