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