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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: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 14 2019, @04:55AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 14 2019, @04:55AM (#879988)

    You're missing how long things take in this dysfunctional system we have now, even when people are actually trying to get things passed. What he is actually trying to do is look like he is trying to do something about drug prices. If he doesn't get reelected, then this whole thing is a "what could have been" and if he does, then we will probably have at least one enabling law (with all the riders and amendments and whatnot) that needs to be passed. Then there are the years required for the regulations to be promulgated. There is also at least one intervening Congressional election in the meantime. Then there are the inevitable lawsuits that will enjoin the law until it makes its way to SCOTUS. Not to mention that his staff is probably well aware that the Canadians can do all sorts of things to mess with his plan and that the USMCA's patent provision will raise Canadian prices anyway.

    Just like any promise from any politician, I'll believe it when I see something beyond just words.