Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by Fnord666 on Tuesday August 13 2019, @10:25AM   Printer-friendly
from the don't-do-drugs-eh dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

Canadians are in a kerfuffle over the Trump administration's preliminary plan to allow Americans to import lower-cost prescription medications from Canada.

The plan was announced July 31 and is part of the administration's long-sought effort to drag down the US's skyrocketing drug prices. But it's a long way from being a reality. Even if the plan does pan out, it will likely be years before regulators review, approve, and scale up efforts to import drugs.

Still, Canadians are infuriated by the idea and already brainstorming ways to toss it down the garburator, according to a report by health-news outlet STAT. Many fear that American importation would exacerbate current drug shortages in Canada.

"You are coming as Americans to poach our drug supply, and I don't have any polite words for that," Amir Attaran of the University of Ottawa told STAT. Prof. Attaran went on to refer to the plan as "deplorable" and "atrociously unethical." "Our drugs are not for you, period."

[...] On Monday, August 12, Canada's Minister of Health Ginette Petitpas Taylor was set to meet with pharmacists, patients, and industry officials to discuss a response to the US plan, according to STAT. Petitpas Taylor has pledged to "ensure there are no adverse effects to the supply or cost of prescription drugs in Canada."

In order to protect Canadians, some advocates and policy experts suggested that Canada could begin controlling the export of pharmaceuticals, pass new laws simply banning exporting drugs meant for Canadians, or impose new tariffs.

-- submitted from IRC


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by BsAtHome on Tuesday August 13 2019, @11:12AM (28 children)

    by BsAtHome (889) on Tuesday August 13 2019, @11:12AM (#879566)

    Translated: Our free-market and deregulation approach failed. We will not admit that we failed or fix the system. We'll treat the symptoms instead. Lets raid our neighbor because their system works better.

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +3  
       Insightful=4, Overrated=1, Total=5
    Extra 'Insightful' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   5  
  • (Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @11:35AM (10 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @11:35AM (#879572)

    Yes, it is definitely not the US's patent laws being abused to make up for price fixing by foreign governments causing the Government-charted Corporations to recuperate their "lost profits". Definitely the failure of the Free Market.

    • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @03:35PM (9 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @03:35PM (#879712)

      Ummm, ya?

      Fascism is the end game of capitalism when government doesn't keep firm control over corporations. The corporations have bought the gov, not the other way round genius.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @04:22PM (8 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @04:22PM (#879732)

        Fascism is the end game of capitalism when government doesn't keep firm control over corporations.

        This is the most historically ignorant thing I have ever read. Your version of history is the exact opposite of reality. Congratulations.

        Everything in fascism is controlled and stifled by a parasitic state. Go read a bit of real history about how life worked in Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.

        • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @06:10PM (7 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @06:10PM (#879767)

          You're right, I should have specified corporate fascism. Basically any system that allows power to be concentrated into the hands of a few goes fascist. End game capitalism is characterized by monopolizing corporations and that massive power imbalance allows those same corporations to buy out politics.

          To make these comparisons even more fun check out http://freedom-school.com/elkhorn3.html [freedom-school.com]

          It is our national shame to have been so complicit in the Nazi agenda, even if it was all hush-hush. Only when the US was attacked did we decide to step in, and we've been lording our late efforts over everyone else ever since.

          I doubt you'll agree but the US is about 95% of the way through the transition to corporate fascism. We have a president actively behaving like a dictator, but thankfully he sucks at it and most of the US population is outraged so it doesn't get too very far. This isn't just another "Trump sucks" cheap shot, if you're honest with yourselves you will stop playing it all off as "just a trolling prank bro."

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @06:56PM (6 children)

            by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @06:56PM (#879784)

            You doubt I agree the US is 95% there, and we *now* have a president acting like a dictator? Just now?

            It is like you took 1/3 of the red pill and haven't figured out what is going on yet. It is better to take no red pill at all than do that, because you are going to end up begging the same fascists for more abuse.

            • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @08:42PM (5 children)

              by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @08:42PM (#879819)

              I was being generous and not trying to rock your worldview, but seems we're mostly on the same page. No other president has been nearly as dictatorial as Trump, though Bush/Cheney ramped it up and Obama really pushed the limits with droning US citizens. Bush and Obama were bad enough to make Hitler jokes about, Trump is going literal Hitler. Pretty important line being crossed, though it is good to point out the progression.

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @09:06PM (4 children)

                by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @09:06PM (#879829)

                If you think Trump is any worse than the last 5 you are delusional.

                • (Score: 4, Touché) by Pslytely Psycho on Tuesday August 13 2019, @09:09PM (3 children)

                  by Pslytely Psycho (1218) on Tuesday August 13 2019, @09:09PM (#879830)

                  Your correct, he's not worse than the last 5, he's worse than the last 44.

                  --
                  Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
                  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @09:30PM (2 children)

                    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @09:30PM (#879833)

                    No, he isnt. If anything things have proceeded slightly slower under him. The biggest deal under his admin so far has been fasab 56, which is really just a formalization of the status quo. Go back to begging for the fascist government your supposedly fear to take over responsibility for your health.

                    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @10:01PM (1 child)

                      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @10:01PM (#879844)

                      Ah, a MAGA idiot it seems. Or maybe just a regular idiot? Matters not if you're that deluded by cynicism and whatever else.

                      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @11:01PM

                        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @11:01PM (#879873)

                        Ah someone who didnt even know what fasab 56 is until now.

  • (Score: 2) by Username on Tuesday August 13 2019, @12:08PM (2 children)

    by Username (4557) on Tuesday August 13 2019, @12:08PM (#879584)

    This is just taking down another barrier to the free market. Do you think they will still overcharge once a cheaper source of drugs enters the market. I don't see how this is failure.

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Immerman on Tuesday August 13 2019, @01:30PM

      by Immerman (3985) on Tuesday August 13 2019, @01:30PM (#879624)

      What cheaper source? The drugs are still going to be coming from the same company, they're just going to be making a stop in Canada along the way.

      So the result will depend - would it be more profitable for them to overcharge in Canada and possibly lose sales, or lower their prices in the U.S? Keeping in mind of course that the U.S. has 10x the population, and is commonly paying 10x as much per dose for the drugs, meaning that Canada is likely only responsible for about 1% as much total profit as the U.S.

    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Tuesday August 13 2019, @02:14PM

      by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us (6553) on Tuesday August 13 2019, @02:14PM (#879650) Journal

      Hahahahahahahahahahahha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      Government tries to intervene to take drugs from an outside marketplace in bound and you call that a free market.

      HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      Tovarisch, you are funny with your definition of free markets - best laugh I've had all month.

      --
      This sig for rent.
  • (Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @12:39PM (6 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @12:39PM (#879596)

    If you think pharma is a free market, executives [wikipedia.org] have an $800 Epi-Pen to sell you.

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday August 13 2019, @01:13PM (5 children)

      by The Mighty Buzzard (18) Subscriber Badge <themightybuzzard@proton.me> on Tuesday August 13 2019, @01:13PM (#879611) Homepage Journal

      Bingo. Monopolies are the most harmful thing there is to a free market and patents are government granted monopolies. Now there's a good reason for them to exist despite that but in their current state they do as much harm as good.

      --
      My rights don't end where your fear begins.
      • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday August 13 2019, @02:23PM (3 children)

        by FatPhil (863) <pc-soylentNO@SPAMasdf.fi> on Tuesday August 13 2019, @02:23PM (#879655) Homepage
        Don't confuse the paid-by-the-number-they-grant USPTO with a functioning patent office.
        Patents are absolutely necessary in order to prevent the abuse of the small by the huge - i.e. to protect against monopolistic (oligopolistic) practices.
        --
        Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
        • (Score: 4, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday August 13 2019, @03:32PM (2 children)

          by JoeMerchant (3937) on Tuesday August 13 2019, @03:32PM (#879709)

          Ideally, patents protect inventors and developers, encouraging them to bring valuable inventions to market.

          In practice, patents more often create a barrier to entry for "little guys" who can't compete with the patent muscle of bigger corporations that play in their space. Threat, and actuality, of litigation between entities mismatched 100:1 or worse in financial capacity only ends one way: the way the big player wants.

          --
          🌻🌻 [google.com]
          • (Score: 2) by AthanasiusKircher on Tuesday August 13 2019, @10:38PM (1 child)

            by AthanasiusKircher (5291) on Tuesday August 13 2019, @10:38PM (#879859) Journal

            Threat, and actuality, of litigation between entities mismatched 100:1 or worse in financial capacity only ends one way: the way the big player wants.

            Yep, and the occasional exceptions [wikipedia.org] prove how incredibly difficult it is for a single person to challenge a giant corporation on this stuff.

            • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday August 13 2019, @10:58PM

              by JoeMerchant (3937) on Tuesday August 13 2019, @10:58PM (#879872)

              The big boys miscalculate sometimes, or, maybe they figured it was worth a $400M risk for the sales advantage...

              More often, they'll just stonewall the patent holder until his rights expire, then introduce his feature the following year. I've been told an anecdotal tale how the invention of hydraulic assisted power steering was stifled this way, by a bitter engine inventor's son who was similarly unable to get investment or licensing interest in his better mousetrap.

              --
              🌻🌻 [google.com]
      • (Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday August 13 2019, @04:30PM

        by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday August 13 2019, @04:30PM (#879739) Journal
        Don't forget the FDA helpfully blocking competitors.
  • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday August 13 2019, @01:19PM

    by JoeMerchant (3937) on Tuesday August 13 2019, @01:19PM (#879617)

    These are all artificial problems... drugs cost what they cost, and are supplied at the quantities they are supplied, in the various markets because of the existing regulations - change the regulations and "the market" will find a new equilibrium.

    I wonder: are addictive pain meds cheaper in Canada? How about Mexico? Why wouldn't carrot-top propose allowing Americans to (legally) import drugs from both of our neighbors, and our biggest legal trading partner?

    --
    🌻🌻 [google.com]
  • (Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday August 13 2019, @02:58PM

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday August 13 2019, @02:58PM (#879676) Journal

    Our free-market and deregulation approach failed.

    Who would "us" be? Neither the US or Canada does that.

    Lets raid our neighbor because their system works better.

    Sounds like you think you're talking about the US for some reason.

  • (Score: 2) by Thexalon on Tuesday August 13 2019, @03:22PM (4 children)

    by Thexalon (636) on Tuesday August 13 2019, @03:22PM (#879700)

    But remember kids, just because our neighbor's system worked better than ours is no reason to adopt it. Anybody proposing that the United States adopt some sort of publicly run health care system for everybody is a radical who is simply using health care as a the wedge to turn the USA into Stalin's USSR, complete with gulags and show trials and summary executions. You wouldn't want to support *gasp* Socialism, would you?

    And if you aren't the sort that is scared by that kind of talk: Any office-holder or candidate proposing the United States adopt some sort of publicly run health care system for everybody is a radical who will be unable to appeal to the voters of middle America, and supporting them is helping $THEIR_PARTY gain/retain power. Sure, it's great ideals and all, but we have to think of the bigger picture, and the bigger picture is that $OUR_PARTY should be in power. Now, I know you don't like how $OUR_PARTY is rather awful, but do you want $THEIR_PARTY, who is evil incarnate, to win?

    --
    The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @07:15PM (3 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @07:15PM (#879796)

      Evil incarnate? I don't think it's that sophisticated.

      More like, they're the other team and we've got to support our team no matter what.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @10:16PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @10:16PM (#879848)
      • (Score: 2) by AthanasiusKircher on Tuesday August 13 2019, @10:52PM

        by AthanasiusKircher (5291) on Tuesday August 13 2019, @10:52PM (#879867) Journal

        More like, they're the other team and we've got to support our team no matter what.

        Which "other team"? The Democratic politicians supported the disaster of enslavement to the insurance industry commonly known as Obamacare (and explicitly rejected more centralized options), while the Republicans for the most part still continue to oppose any move toward more centralized management of healthcare.

        Sure, some Dems are now changing their minds. But neither major "team" has a good record on any of this.

      • (Score: 2) by Thexalon on Wednesday August 14 2019, @06:07PM

        by Thexalon (636) on Wednesday August 14 2019, @06:07PM (#880412)

        The propaganda definitely treats the other side as evil incarnate. It makes it easier to rally the base.

        And the way they do it is no more sophisticated, really, than the efforts to drum up hatred for, say, the New York Yankees in order to sell more sports tickets.

        --
        The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.