Posted At Press Connects
Seniors and the chronically ill who are trying to beat escalating prescription drug prices are caught in a squeeze play. Their own government doesn't seem to want to help the situation. Now Canada, where many sought price relief, is threatening to limit the amount of drugs that can be imported by U.S. citizens.
Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh said Wednesday "Canada cannot be a drugstore for the United States of America; 280 million people cannot expect us to supply drugs to them on a continuous, uncontrolled basis."
Isn't it odd that the richest nation in the world also pays the highest prescription drug prices? How does this country's government plan to remedy the situation? Instead of addressing the issue head on, Congress has four bills pending that would allow importation of wholesale prescription drugs. Even that tossed bone of assistance is meeting objection from pharmaceutical lobbyists and the Food and Drug Administration.
You can understand the health minister's anger. In this scenario, Canada becomes an enabler for a sick pricing policy. It's ridiculous that U.S. citizens have to look outside their own country for affordable medicine anyway.
Sure the consumer has to bear some of the cost of pharmaceutical research and development -- but why must Americans bear such a large portion of that? This obfuscated pricing is about fat cats getting fatter. It's about paying for pricey advertising to get patients to needle their physicians for Company A's elixir. Guess who eventually pays for that pricey advertising? Bet you a split Lipitor pill it isn't the fat cat lobbyists.
Canada's indignation is correct. Too bad the government won't heed it. Too bad the people who can least afford it will be harmed the most by this insanity.
