Canadian Pharmacists Respond

U.S. House Passes Bill to Force Lower Drug Prices

Jan 17, 2007 Kathy Quan

Canadian pharmacists and drug distributors fear Canadian supplies could be affected if Americans are allowed to import prescription meds from Canada.

Following up on promises to address the high cost of medications for Medicare beneficiaries, the U.S. House of Representative passed a bill last week that requires the government to negotiate with drug manufacturers for the lowest possible cost of medications for Medicare Part D beneficiaries.

Bill Symbolically Breaks Strong Hold of Drug Manufacturers

This bill also opens the door for pharmacies and wholesalers to import approved drugs from international pharmacies and manufacturers in such countries as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Europe. Under this bill, Americans would be allowed to purchase approved medications directly from Canadian pharmacies.

Bill is Not Law Yet

The bill in it's present form is not expected to be the final law. It will go to the U.S. Senate for consideration and expected revisions. The White House has indicated President Bush will veto such a bill which will require Congress to vote to override his veto. This will take some time to accomplish.

Canadian Pharmacists Respond

The Canadian Pharmacists Association in conjunction with the Ontario Pharmacists Association, the Best Medicines Coalition, and the Canadian Association for Pharmacy Distribution have asked the Canadian government to issue a ban on exportation of drugs to the U.S. These four organizations represent the pharmacists and drug distributors in Canada. They sent a letter to Canadian Health Minister, Tony Clement, stating the "American legislative proposal poses an imminent and serious threat to the security and integrity of Canada's drug supply."

Government Keeping An Eye on Situation

Mr. Clement has responded by stating he is keeping an eye on the situation ad feels that changes in the American laws will not significantly affect the Canadian drug supply. This is due mainly to the fact that Medicare beneficiaries would be more likely to purchase drugs under their insurance coverage than from Canadian pharmacies directly. He expects only a small increase would be seen. A spokesman for Mr. Clement's office stated there has been a decline in the amount of pharmaceuticals being shipped to the U.S. since 2004

Bulk Export Could Provoke Negotiations

Presently, Canadians enjoy the privelege of purchasing prescription drugs at costs lower than those Americans would pay for these medications. Domestic controls set by the Canadian government keep the costs down, and restrict supplies to what Canadians need. However, the fear is that bulk export of drugs to the U.S. could cause the pharmaceutical manufacturers to demand higher prices and force a new pricing agreement.

Resources:

Robert Pear. "House Democrats Pass Bill on Medicare Drug Prices." New York Times, January 13, 2007

Gloria Galloway. "Druggists Calling For Ban on Exports to U.S." http://globe and mail.com January 15,2007

The copyright of the article Canadian Pharmacists Respond in Seniors' Health/Medicare is owned by Kathy Quan . Permission to republish Canadian Pharmacists Respond in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Comments

Jun 4, 2008 6:02 PM
Guest :
How the prescription was written. Was it written to dispense only one cycle at a time, or did it allow for more than one cycle to be dispensed? If your family physician wants you to have more than one cycle at a time, they need to write the prescription so that multiple cycles can be dispensed.
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