Friday, February 11, 2005
Governor Sebelius in hot water with Canadians over drug proposal
["Canadian patients, seniors, pharmacists request meeting with U.S. governors," Press Release, Canada News Wire Group, 8 February 2005.]
The Canadian Treatment Action Council, Coalition for Manitoba Pharmacy, Best Medicines Coalition and Manitoba Society of Seniors have jointly released a letter to the six U.S. Governors - including Gov. Sebelius - that are pushing Canada to keep its doors open so that their drug importation programs will remain viable:
You should know that the increasing diversion of Canadian drugs to the United States has caused a great deal of alarm among those responsible for delivering health care in this country, as well as among those who depend on our prescription drug system. Minister Dosanjh has been very clear and has publicly committed to protecting Canada's prescription drug supply. We are confident that the Minister will follow through on this commitment, and we applaud his recognition that his first duty is to safeguard the health of Canadian patients.
Canada is not the cure to what afflicts your health care system. Surely you are aware of the following:
- Canada cannot be the "medicine cabinet" for the United States. Our population is one-tenth than that of the U.S., and uncontrolled American demand for our drugs would strain our system beyond the breaking point.
- You have a market-based system with market-based pricing. We have a price-controlled system. If Canada were to become a clearing-house for exports of medications to your States, prices would be forced up in Canada. Your cheap prescriptions would soon disappear, and Canada's drug system would collapse.
- Canadian patients risk shortages of medications intended for Canadians if the internet drug exportation business continues on its current path.
You readily acknowledge in your letter to our Prime Minister that the "unbalanced cost of prescription medicines in the United States is a contributing factor for America's health care crisis." Respectfully, we agree. Your system is in desperate need of political intervention. Unfortunately, that political intervention should be pursued in Washington, D.C., not in Ottawa. Your current efforts should be aimed at your own federal government, not the Canadian government.
[Matthew Hisrich, "Sebelius Is Practicing Black-Market Politics," The Wichita Eagle, 10 December 2004.]
["Canadian patients, seniors, pharmacists request meeting with U.S. governors," Press Release, Canada News Wire Group, 8 February 2005.]
The Canadian Treatment Action Council, Coalition for Manitoba Pharmacy, Best Medicines Coalition and Manitoba Society of Seniors have jointly released a letter to the six U.S. Governors - including Gov. Sebelius - that are pushing Canada to keep its doors open so that their drug importation programs will remain viable:
You should know that the increasing diversion of Canadian drugs to the United States has caused a great deal of alarm among those responsible for delivering health care in this country, as well as among those who depend on our prescription drug system. Minister Dosanjh has been very clear and has publicly committed to protecting Canada's prescription drug supply. We are confident that the Minister will follow through on this commitment, and we applaud his recognition that his first duty is to safeguard the health of Canadian patients.
Canada is not the cure to what afflicts your health care system. Surely you are aware of the following:
- Canada cannot be the "medicine cabinet" for the United States. Our population is one-tenth than that of the U.S., and uncontrolled American demand for our drugs would strain our system beyond the breaking point.
- You have a market-based system with market-based pricing. We have a price-controlled system. If Canada were to become a clearing-house for exports of medications to your States, prices would be forced up in Canada. Your cheap prescriptions would soon disappear, and Canada's drug system would collapse.
- Canadian patients risk shortages of medications intended for Canadians if the internet drug exportation business continues on its current path.
You readily acknowledge in your letter to our Prime Minister that the "unbalanced cost of prescription medicines in the United States is a contributing factor for America's health care crisis." Respectfully, we agree. Your system is in desperate need of political intervention. Unfortunately, that political intervention should be pursued in Washington, D.C., not in Ottawa. Your current efforts should be aimed at your own federal government, not the Canadian government.
[Matthew Hisrich, "Sebelius Is Practicing Black-Market Politics," The Wichita Eagle, 10 December 2004.]
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