I'm hearing about more and more vendors that claim to be able to save self-funded employers on their rx spend by sourcing FDA-approved name-brand medications from countries such as Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. The vendors contract with employers to offer this program to employees, then the vendor works directly with employees to obtain their prescriptions from pharmacies outside the US under FDA personal importation guidelines. These vendors tell employees they can get their drugs for a $0 copay and generally charge the employer a percentage of the savings when the drug is sourced. I'm wondering what the legality is for the both employers offering these programs and employees participating in these programs. What compliance issues should employers consider before implementing these programs?
Thanks for any insight!
