Say Anything Blog

So many Americans are purchasing their prescription drugs online from Canadian drug suppliers that some health advocates in Canada are worried about shortages.

From Yahoo News:

The Canadian Treatment Action Council, an advocacy and education group for people living with HIV/AIDS, and the Canadian Hemophilia Society were among six groups that called on Prime Minister Paul Martin in a news release to outlaw the pharmacies.

Council chairwoman Louise Binder said the surge of U.S. demand for drugs via Internet pharmacies restricts Canadians' access to the drugs and pushes drug prices higher.

"There will be shortages if we keep giving the amount of drugs that companies send into Canada outside the country," she said.

The business of marketing prescription drugs to Americans over the Internet has grown rapidly because the drugs are less expensive in Canada due to government price controls.

Americans get their prescriptions filled in Canada by placing orders through Web sites operated by Canadian pharmacies which then mail the drugs to the patients in the United States.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. pharmaceuticals industry oppose the practice, saying they cannot guarantee the safety of the drugs. Supporters argue the industry is just seeking to keep prices high.

I'm not sure shortages are really going to be a problem in Canada. If there's one thing drug companies value more than anything else its money. They aren't going to risk losing a customer base due to shortages.

But, if we really want to address the issue the solution should come from the American side of the border. As I've said before, our government should open up the prescription drug market to Canadian drug companies. Allowing citizens to purchase Canadian drug products in pharmacies instead of over the internet will force American drug companies to directly compete with Canadian drug companies.

The competition would result in lower prices for American drugs and less of a demand on Canadian companies.

When companies compete the customers win.