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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


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  • (Score: 2) by SomeGuy on Tuesday August 13 2019, @11:36AM (12 children)

    by SomeGuy (5632) on Tuesday August 13 2019, @11:36AM (#879573)

    But this is admitting that US drug companies screw the US population

    Was there anybody that did not already know this?

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @11:38AM (9 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @11:38AM (#879575)

    The people thinking free healthcare will magically fix it?

    • (Score: 5, Informative) by MostCynical on Tuesday August 13 2019, @12:14PM (7 children)

      by MostCynical (2589) on Tuesday August 13 2019, @12:14PM (#879588) Journal

      Regulated markets with free/subsidised health care works in several other countries.

      --
      "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
      • (Score: 2, Disagree) by curunir_wolf on Tuesday August 13 2019, @01:08PM (6 children)

        by curunir_wolf (4772) on Tuesday August 13 2019, @01:08PM (#879603)
        ... for several specifically defined instances of "works"
        --
        I am a crackpot
        • (Score: 5, Touché) by MostCynical on Tuesday August 13 2019, @01:20PM (5 children)

          by MostCynical (2589) on Tuesday August 13 2019, @01:20PM (#879618) Journal

          Get sick, get treatment, not be in debt when discharged from hospital?

          --
          "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
          • (Score: 3, Touché) by Immerman on Tuesday August 13 2019, @01:32PM (3 children)

            by Immerman (3985) on Tuesday August 13 2019, @01:32PM (#879627)

            But who's rolling in the cash? Hugely flawed system.

            • (Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Tuesday August 13 2019, @09:15PM (2 children)

              by Pslytely Psycho (1218) on Tuesday August 13 2019, @09:15PM (#879831)

              As opposed to get sick, get treatment, go bankrupt or alternately, get sick, can't afford treatment, die?

              --
              Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
              • (Score: 2) by Immerman on Wednesday August 14 2019, @01:55PM (1 child)

                by Immerman (3985) on Wednesday August 14 2019, @01:55PM (#880183)

                I guess my sarcasm wasn't loud enough. Allow me to increase it:

                That are you talking about? That never happens to executives or anyone else in the investor class.

                • (Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Thursday August 15 2019, @10:37PM

                  by Pslytely Psycho (1218) on Thursday August 15 2019, @10:37PM (#880751)

                  Yeah, I missed the sarcasm, my detector was taking a break. If that's the worst I do this week, I'll call it a win.

                  --
                  Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
          • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @01:41PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @01:41PM (#879632)

            "treatment"

    • (Score: 2) by ilsa on Tuesday August 13 2019, @07:31PM

      by ilsa (6082) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday August 13 2019, @07:31PM (#879806)

      Well done intentionally misrepresenting the entire concept in order to make a strawman argument.

      It's not "free" healthcare. It's paid for in taxes. But it's regulated by a central gov't agency that works to prevent the different vendors from taking advantage of a captive market.

  • (Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Tuesday August 13 2019, @02:20PM

    by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us (6553) on Tuesday August 13 2019, @02:20PM (#879653) Journal

    But this is admitting that deregulated markets with patent protections US drug companies screw the US any population for items that are necessities and not luxuries.

    FTFY

    --
    This sig for rent.
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @03:10PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @03:10PM (#879688)

    Was there anybody that did not already know this?

    Know? No. But I said "admit". And Big Pharma doesn't (and will never) admit that they are screwing the US population.