Canada Cracks Down on Prescription Drugs

[DUreader]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-3370183,00.html



WASHINGTON (AP) - Urged on by the U.S.
government, Canadian officials are cracking down
on companies, pharmacists and physicians within
their borders that help American citizens get
cheaper prescription drugs.

But complex jurisdictional issues guarantee the
enforcement won't be quick or simple.

Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
has escalated threats to shut down companies
exporting drugs to America, FDA Commissioner
Mark McClellan said recently there are ``no
automatic mechanisms set up between our
countries.''

``We have to have those discussions,'' he said.
``We have to work together to identify where our
laws match up and where they don't.''

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

1. Hey...

<sarcasm size=heavy>
Weren't Canada and the US part of a FREE TRADE zone?
</sarcasm>

[Bozita]

2. more "compassionate conservatism"

Given a choice between the opposing interests of drug companies and its citizens, the Bush administration sides with its biggest contributor.

Look folks, the drug companies paid for this government.

[truthisfreedom]

3. we have a basic problem here.

if canadian taxpayers are subsidizing prescription drugs for their country, then we're going to be raping their taxpayers to make it easy for our seniors to buy drugs here if we buy "over the border." does anyone know if prescription drugs are subsidized in canada?

[Kelvin Mace]

5. Are they subsidized?

I thought Canada just had price controls and told the jackals at the drug companies, "this is the most you can charge for drug x".

David Allen
Publisher, CEO, Janitor
Plan Nine Publishing
http://www.plan9.org

[Spazito]

6. Yes, we have price controls and negotiate the cost with pharmacuticals

the only costs that one might consider "subsidized" are for Canadians in that some drugs are covered under our universal medical coverage.

[truthisfreedom]

7. which?

this could be a big issue.

[Spazito]

8. sorry, what do you mean by "which"?

*

[Bridget Burke]

9. Seems simple....

Most drugs are cheaper because of Canadian price controls.

The ones available cheap under their Universal Medical Coverage are probably only available to those who are covered. That is, Canadians.

[Spazito]

10. Exactly!

The issue is internet sales, I believe. It is less about those who actually travel to Canada to purchase their drugs. The pharmacuticals have threatened to limit their sales to what they figure would be Canadian needs only but I am not sure how that would work as there are existing contracts with them. This will be interesting to watch how it plays out.

[0007]

4. junior is one mean son of a bitch! Bar none.

Where is AARP? Does AARP only care about rich seniors? Does junior have AARP in his back pocket. It looks that way.

[loudnclear]

12. Do think the dittoheads will ever see who really works against them?

It is really frustrating that the very people hurt the most by Bush policies support him so ardently.

[Some Moran]

11. There's more to it...

As much as it pains me to say this, I want this crackdown to happen. I may be selfish, but I don't want my country to face dire consequences from pharmaceutical companies (which we're threatened with if we don't crack down) for the sake of a few foreigners.

As a Canadian, I believe that our first priority is to ensure that Canadians have access to the latest drugs at low prices.

[Spazito]

13. I disagree! I am so sick of greedy corporations threatening us and...

everyone else. There are viable pharmacutical companies other than those in the US and we can negotiate with them if the greedy, price gouging companies don't want to do business with us. What the US pharmacuticals don't say is that they do very well by us and won't want us to go elsewhere for our supplies.

We didn't back down re Iraq and we shouldn't back down re the pharmacuticals, imo.

[0007]

14. I want Canada to take care of their own citizens first.....

but isn't there enough for everyone? Couldn't the Canada pharmacies just order more from the greedy pharmaceutical companies?

And you mean to tell me that the pharmaceuticals' threatened Canada if they didn't crack down? I've never heard of anything like that before now, could you please send me a link?

Peace in sincerity

[Spazito]

15. Here's a link to an article, I am sure there are more...

http://bernie.house.gov/documents/articles/20031007102100.asp

Here is one paragraph from it:

The pharmaceutical industry has begun to retaliate, too. U.S. drugmakers have curtailed sales to certain big Canadian sellers and have threatened to limit supplies to others. "Every relevant agency from the FDA to the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) has sharply criticized imported medicines as unsafe," says Jeff Trewhitt, spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the trade group of name-brand drugmakers.

[el_gato]

16. what a lying piece of trash

they say "unsafe" when it's the same exact fucking drugs

double talking scum of the earth

[Spazito]

17. LOL and true, the pharmacuticals and the FDA haven't a leg to stand on...

regarding the safety issue. The Canadian government has challenged the FDA, etc, to come up with ONE case where using drugs purchased in Canada caused any illness, death. Guess what, not one example has been given!

The article, though, is very supportive of purchasing drugs through Canada and more states are moving this way.

[Frederic Bastiat]

18. I back this crackdown wholeheartedly

Time for the US to get its act together, why should Canadians lose access to certain prescription drugs just so that a few internet pharmacies can sell drugs to overcharged Americans??

[Spazito]

19. You have a good point and there is an irony here for sure!

With Bush and the giant pharmacuticals trying to stop the cross border shopping for drugs, they are pointing out very clearly how their own citizens are being gouged and, hopefully, that will energize those who want what Canada has, universal medical coverage.

This will be interesting to follow as there is more than one state, plus some pending bills, that go against Bush and his pals.

[Don_G]

20. And The Existing Contracts?

The drug companies are trying to break and/or modify existing contracts to a government because "they" don't like the terms now? ShrubCo is backing the drug companies strictly for profit?

With the individual states starting to talk with Canadian pharmacutical companies to save about $100 million per year per state, I think the situation is going to get very interesting.

[Spazito]

21. Yep, totally agree!

What isn't being said is that US pharmacuticals aren't the only companies. I must admit I do not want our prices going up because of this and, if the states and the citizens of the US go head to head with Bush and his cronies, that doesn't have to happen.