CANADA DOESN'T DESERVE THESE VIAL ACCUSATIONS

Blame Canada? I always thought that was just a satirical song from a
postmodern TV cartoon.

Sure, I always figured we probably foisted a few too many comedians
and journalists on to the U.S., but of late, the days of being
pilloried because of Jim Carrey and Peter Jennings appear positively
halcyon.

Seems Canada's now being blamed for exporting everything from
terrorism to gay marriage, from lax laws on illegal drugs to "B.C.
bud" -- the best marijuana the American dollar isn't supposed to buy.

So it's not surprising U.S. drug czar John Walters described the Great
White North as "the one place in the hemisphere where things are going
the wrong [way] rapidly." And it's also not surprising that the
vitriol aimed at Canada isn't limited to illegal drugs. Prescription
drugs, too, are going the wrong way -- from Canada to the U.S. -- as
American consumers now spend about $1 billion a year at Canadian pharmacies.

That's not Canada's fault, of course. It's simply because drug prices
in the U.S. are so exorbitant -- the highest in the world -- that
those who need them most, such as seniors on fixed incomes, have to
truck up to the land of igloos several times a year to get their fixes.

This is a problem of American apathy, not Canadian kindness, toward
the underprivileged. But you'd never gather that from the rhetoric of
some American politicians, who say the problem stems from the fact
that Canada isn't paying "its fair share."

Let's consider that criticism. Sure, Canadians pay anywhere from 30%
to 80% less than Americans for the same drugs, but only because the
Canadian pharmaceutical industry agreed to price controls in exchange
for increased patent protection. Specifically, the government agreed
to extend the length of time before generic versions of patented drugs
could come on the market, and the industry agreed to invest more money
in research and development. So Canadians are getting what we
bargained for and are, therefore, paying our fair share.

Those opposed to the export of Canadian drugs also suggest that they
really have the best interests of Americans at heart. After all,
they're not concerned about the profits of drug companies, they
insist, but rather about safety, because, you know, those
beer-swilling Canadians just can't be trusted to produce good stuff.

That position, which is held by the Food and Drug Administration,
pharmaceutical firms and some senators and House members, was
concisely articulated by National Assn. of Chain Drug Stores President
Craig Fuller, who said, "Importation of prescription drugs is illegal
because it's unsafe."

That one statement represents a masterful example of backward logic.
There's no evidence that Canadian drug manufacturing and labeling
standards are any less rigorous than those of the U.S. -- in fact,
Canada tends to be the more cautious of the two countries in approving
and marketing drugs. Several American studies, including one by the
state of Illinois, confirm that Americans face no increased health
risks in consuming Canadian pharmaceuticals.

Nevertheless, by making importation illegal, agencies like the FDA are
prevented from ensuring such things as proper handling during personal
importation. So importation may be unsafe, but only because it's
illegal, which turns Fuller's statement on its head.

All of this is not to suggest that selling drugs to Americans is good
for Canada. On the contrary, the Canadian health-care system is
beginning to suffer from the mass exports.

Some pharmaceutical companies, including Bayer and Eli Lilly, are
taking advantage of loopholes in their price control agreements and
are beginning to raise the prices of drugs like Cipro and Zantac. In
the last few months, some drug prices have risen almost 10%. And some
companies are threatening to limit Canada's supply of drugs, which
isn't good for anyone.

The present state of affairs can't continue. And it's up to the U.S.
to find a solution because this is an American problem, even though
it's causing problems in Canada. Canadian pharmaceutical manufacturers
could stop providing drugs to Americans, of course, but that would
violate the spirit of free trade, something Americans have championed
for years.

So maybe the United States is the place where things are rapidly going
wrong.

Blame America? No, that will never catch on.

Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/walters.htm (Walters, John)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/opinion.htm (Opinion)