Close X
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
ADVT 
National

Move to allow Canadian drugs to be imported by U.S. creates shortage fears

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 05 Jan, 2024 01:51 PM
  • Move to allow Canadian drugs to be imported by U.S. creates shortage fears

A major shift in United States pharmaceutical policy allowing for the importation of drugs from Canada is creating fears about future drug shortages in this country.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced plans Friday to allow Florida to import millions of dollars worth of pharmaceuticals from Canadian wholesalers as a way to avoid the high cost of drugs in that country.

The decision is not great news for Canada, which has more frequently faced acute drug shortages over the last several years, said Joelle Walker, vice-president of public affairs for the Canadian Pharmacists Association.

The population of Florida is more than half the number of people who live in all of Canada. And beyond Florida, other American states are eyeing similar requests to the FDA to address the cost of drugs.

"To look to Canada as their pharmacy is just not practical. We can't do it, it's not possible," Walker said.

Over the last several years Canada has run short on a range of drugs, from children's fever medication, to certain cancer drugs and, more recently, the popular weight-loss and diabetes management drug Ozempic.

Florida's proposal includes medications for asthma; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD; diabetes; HIV and AIDS; and mental illness.

But the threat is not immediate, Walker said, and people should not rush to refill their prescriptions.

Florida still has more work to do to prove imports would actually save Americans money without sacrificing public safety, as well as test the drugs to make sure they’re authentic and relabel them so that they comply with U.S. standards.

"That in itself could actually be quite cost prohibitive and we hope will be a disincentive for Florida from proceeding," Walker said.

Canada also has several safeguards to try to prevent manufacturers from shipping medication south, she said.

If a manufacturer wants to export drugs to the U.S., it would need Health Canada's approval, which the federal regulator would presumably deny if it feared a shortage.

The U.S. pays by far the highest price for patented medicines among members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, with essentially no government limits on what companies can charge. While Canada pays far less by comparison, its prices still ranked third highest as of 2021.

Americans have long been able to fill prescriptions from Canadian pharmacies, but the newly announced policy change affects mass imports.

The FDA's decision follows years of successful lobbying against the idea by the pharmaceutical industry, which said imports would expose U.S. patients to risks of counterfeit or adulterated drugs. The FDA also previously warned of the difficulties of assuring the safety of drugs originating from outside the U.S.

The politics surrounding the issue have shifted in recent years, with both Democrats and Republicans doubling down on the import approach.

The medications would be only for certain people, including foster children, inmates, certain geriatric patients and — eventually — Medicaid recipients.

MORE National ARTICLES

Environment Canada has issued snowfall warnings in two areas of BC

Environment Canada has issued snowfall warnings in two areas of BC
Environment Canada has issued snowfall warnings in two areas of B-C. The weather agency says up to 20 centimetres of snow is forecasted for inland sections of the Central Coast region including Bella Coola.  

Environment Canada has issued snowfall warnings in two areas of BC

Trans Mountain pipeline expansion delayed for 2 years

Trans Mountain pipeline expansion delayed for 2 years
Trans Mountain is warning the completion of its pipeline expansion project through B-C may be delayed by two years due to a federal regulator decision. The company says the Canada Energy Regulator rejected a request for a pipeline variance through a 2.3-kilometre stretch of complex, hard rock conditions.

Trans Mountain pipeline expansion delayed for 2 years

House of Commons rises after tumultuous fall sitting, begins six-week winter break

House of Commons rises after tumultuous fall sitting, begins six-week winter break
The House of Commons has wrapped up its work for 2023 after an intense fall sitting, with MPs returning to their ridings for a six-week holiday break. A gun-control bill that enshrines a handgun freeze and a bill that lifts GST charges off rental developments and amends the country's competition law both crossed the finish line in Parliament this week. 

House of Commons rises after tumultuous fall sitting, begins six-week winter break

$115 M funding deal could help build 40,000 homes in Vancouver over decade: Trudeau

$115 M funding deal could help build 40,000 homes in Vancouver over decade: Trudeau
The announcement came on Friday after the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. said housing starts in Canada fell 22 per cent in November, with starts down 39 per cent in Vancouver. Fraser said of the Vancouver deal that the cash from the government's Housing Accelerator Fund would cut barriers to building homes and "incentivize changes" at the municipal level

$115 M funding deal could help build 40,000 homes in Vancouver over decade: Trudeau

Assault charge for RCMP sergeant over alleged incident at Coquitlam detachment

Assault charge for RCMP sergeant over alleged incident at Coquitlam detachment
An RCMP officer has been charged with assault stemming from an incident in the Coquitlam, British Columbia, detachment a year ago. The BC Prosecution Service says in a release that Sgt. Antonio Guerrero Jr. is facing one count of assault after the charge was approved on Thursday.

Assault charge for RCMP sergeant over alleged incident at Coquitlam detachment

Online News Act funding capped for private broadcasters, CBC: regulations

Online News Act funding capped for private broadcasters, CBC: regulations
Final regulations for the Online News Act show the amount of funding private broadcasters will get through the government's $100-million deal with Google will be limited, with an even lower cap for the CBC. The regulations released on Friday say CBC/Radio-Canada will get no more than a $7-million share of the annual fund, while another $30 million at most will be reserved for other broadcasters.

Online News Act funding capped for private broadcasters, CBC: regulations