Re: OT: Canada is severely insulted by US official.

John Cowan wrote:


>Mike Ellis scripsit:
>
>> Ours are probably all made in the States anyway. Unless they're not
>> shipping the same stuff to us as to you...
>
>No, that's why the Yank government is talking about "reimportation".
>They don't want U.S. drugs exported to Canada and sold at reasonable
>prices to cross the border again, where they would undercut the
>same drugs sold overpriced at U.S. retail.
>
Exactly.  I'd imagine most US brands sold in Canada are made in the US, or
possibly under license in Canada.  Presumably things imported from  Europe
(e.g Rhone-Poulenc products--as some of mine are) are the same both in
Canada and the US.  Only the price differs.

The FDA statement cited in Bryan Maloney's original post was annoying
enough. Of course the drug companies, via their pals in Washington, have
been trying to close the Canadian loop-hole for some time now.  And just
yesterday, I heard that Glaxo-Wellcome (IIRC) has threatened to stop
supplying Canada's health-care system if Canada does not crack down on sales
to US customers. Sheer Blackmail. Haven't heard any reaction to that, but I
suppose it takes a few days for the AARP to get cranked up....Has anything
popped up yet, John, in your Reuters Health news??

Incidentally, I learned over vacation in Florida, there are shops down there
where you can go to place your order to Canada.  How convenient.

I've never bought drugs through Canada, but seriously consider it every time
I refill the Rx for my asthma inhalers-- $80 - $100+ here, about half that
in Canada.

I'd better stop now before I really blow a gasket over the insane
health-care situation in this country. Amen.