Posted on 10/19/2004 7:11:20 AM PDT by mondoman
Drug Costs: Americans have been told — by the Kerry campaign, among others — that they could buy plenty of cheap medicine from Canada if their government would just let them. But here's a dose of reality.
Canadian Internet pharmacies, it turns out, aren't keen on the idea of selling large volumes of prescription drugs to Americans at Canadian prices. More than 30 of these businesses now say they will not accept bulk orders for drugs from American states or local governments.
"We can't be your complete drugstore," says David Mackay, chief executive of the Canadian International Pharmacy Association.
And he's not the only Canadian talking that way.
On Monday, a coalition of groups representing millions of patients, seniors and pharmacists called on Canada's federal government to stop the southward-bound drug sales and keep the U.S. from "raiding on our medicine cabinet."
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
I don't know why drugs are cheaper in Canada, but I'm sure it has more to do with patents and regulation than cost of manufacture or distribution.
I can recall when Claritan was much cheaper in Canada, but since it went OTC and the patent ran out, it is cheaper here.
Yup. Using Canada as our new CVS was a rotten idea and IS a rotten idea.
Figures that Mr. Kerry would like this plan. His idea of long-term planning is, say, this Saturday.
What a Bozo!
Next!
Viva Bush!
The Canuckistanians are deathly afraid of this idea. The reason: the drug companies negotiated pretty sweet prices for Canada, and could afford to because it is the US that carries the cost of their R&D. If the Americans start buying drugs from Canada, one of two things will happen.
1) The drug companies will charge much higher prices in Canada so as to not undercut themselves in America. Result: Cost of drugs in Canada goes up.
2) Drug companies ration how much goes to Canada. Drug companies know incident rates of the diseases their drugs treat, they can rather accurately estimate how much is needed in the Canadian market. Then they limit sales to that amount. Now every pill sold to America is a pill that a Canadian needs, and does not get. Result: Drug rationing in Canada, lack of availability of key drugs.
The bottom line is that running American drugs through Canada is not some magic fix all. The drug companies can, will, and should defend themselves from socialist incursions. Personally, I prefer the first option. Instead of milking America (with high prices) to fund the research, then selling it abroad at the cost of manufacture, I would gladly see the rest of the world (Canada, Europe, Japan) carry their fair share of the burden of developing the cures of tomorrow.
The US consumer has been supporting the Canadian health care system for years with underpriced drug exports to Canada.
The Canadians do not have the capability to bring new drugs to market, or the manufacturing to support their own needs, thus US based Pharmaceutical companies are selling quantities to the Canadian market barely above their costs at a very low margin.
I agree with you.. The cost of R&D should be equally shared. Besides, they think we are the stupidest people in the world, so screw'em. Let them pay their own way...
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