The Canadian drug issue - sheesh

[Skip Intro]

Just saw a commercial for 60 Minutes that said something like "Drugs are cheaper in Canada, but are they safe?"

What the hell? Are we actually going to say that Canada is allowing its doctors to medicate its people with substandard medications? Doesn't Canada buy much of its prescription drugs from US pharm corporations? Are we selling substandard products, falsely claiming they'll better the health of those taking them?

Isn't the import issue really centered around importing drugs we originally exported?

Or are we (govt. + media) trashing the image of cheaper Canadian drugs so as to keep the gouging of sick Americans, especially our most financially and health needy seniors, by the Pharm. corps. going?

My mom got her US issued "drug discount card" today. She had seen the commercials about this card and had been anticipating the help. She may get, if she qualifies a whole 10% off her meds. She was not happy, to say the least. She's a repub. and tried to blame the Dems, but the fact that the "bush admin." was highlighted in the accompanying letter really didn't leave her any choice but to voice extreme displeasure and disappointment at those pigs. And the explanation of what relief she could expect in 2006 from the Medicare bill that the repukes just forced upon us left her shaking her head. She'll get very little, if anything, from that as well. According to what she read, her $900 per month SS puts her over the limit of being needy.

Admittedly, I am vague on the details here, having not read the letter myself. But damn, how the hell dare these fat cat rich murderous oil pigs parse and calculate and restrict medical care for seniors and uninsured while they wallow in the billions they've looted from our treasury?

This is the same bush regime that won't allow Canadian drug imports, and the same ones, I have no doubt, that has the 60 minutes feature spinning.

And the plight of the elderly, or any of suffering without insurance, is obscured by the flagwaving, bible thumping imposters who smile while the needy suffer and die.

For this alone, the bastards in charge should be tried for treason.

[Cleita]

1. This isn't the first time. A month or so ago

a rep from E. Lily (not sure about the sp., but it's late) made an announcement about drugs from Canada that could be unsafe. Fortunately, the program that aired this, also had a Canadian pharmacist on who replied that if the E. Lily drugs imported from the US were substandard to what they had been led to believe were the same as those sold in the US, they should be held up to some investigations.

[Striker Davies]

2. Canadian Drugs are of at least as high a quality, sometimes higher

than US products.

The rules for releasing a new drug onto the market are just as strict as in the US. Manufacturing standards are at least as high, and inspections by the Health authorities are common, strict and highly professional. I was the IT Director at one Canadian multinational pharma company for five years and the CIO at a Canadian generic company for two. I know what we had to do to continue in business.

This whole attack on Canadian pharmaceuticals is pure bullshit designed to protect the massive profits of the US pharma corporations who spend more on marketing than they do on research.

[area51]

3. Republinazi excuses are always amazing.

In one breath, the republinazis claim that Canadian drugs are unsafe. Right, that's why Canadians are dropping dead on their streets (sarcasm). In the next moment, I heard other republinazis claim that if the USA imports Canadian drugs, we'll use up so many that the Canadians will not have enough for themselves. So which is it, republinazis? Make up your fscking minds.

[Kool Kitty]

4. And yesterday, when Mark McClellan

was testifying, he said that one of the reasons we can't do re-importation of Canadian drugs was that if there was a problem with a drug and it had to be recalled, there is no way for the Canadian pharmacies to get in touch with each other to effectively do a recall. I guess it's still the Dark Ages up north, huh, Markey? No phones, no computers? What an ass.

[Jane Austin]

13. Insulting

I just think the comments from American officials questioning
the safety of Canadian drugs is downright insulting.

I mean, where's NAFTA when you really need it?

[patricia92243]

5. Same meds from Mexico even cheaper and other foreign countries even cheape

[FlaGranny]

14. Actually, I compared some drug prices

between the US, Canada, and Mexico. The drugs I compared where cheaper in Canada than they were in Mexico. I don't know if that's true for all of them.

I believe Canadian drugs are actually SAFER. I have a niece who has been getting her prescriptions filled in Canada and they come in the original factory containers. There are no pharmacists parceling out the pills into the pill contains like we get here. If you get a prescription in the US that you've never seen before, and you don't know what it's supposed to look like, you can't tell if there has been an error. Believe me, there ARE errors.

[allalone]

6. sarcasm alert

I live in Washington state. I just hate it when I go to Canada and there are dead Canadians laying all over the place from their 3rd world drugs.

[HEyHEY]

7. They're good, I'm on them right now

aoowwwww!

[Orangeone]

8. Why isn't it considered

Just using the free market? Companies can shop around for the cheapest prices for labor, but people can't be allowed to shop around for the cheapest prescription drugs? It's downright un-American...

[HEyHEY]

9. sssshh

What's American is what bush SAYS is American buster!

[IronLionZion]

10. They are the exact same drugs

and often from the exact same companies. It's just that the pharmaceutical industry in the US has a death grip around the government's neck so they can charge artificially inflated prices and claim its due to R & D. If you go to any other country in the whole damn world they will laugh at how much we pay for drugs here in the states.

The pharmaceutical industry donates heavily to both Republican and Democratic campaigns.

[BradCKY]

11. The pressure is getting to them

I almost went into shock when I read this!!!! LOL.

Looks like they know its a losing issue not to back importation of prescription drugs, and its an election year.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/12/politics/12MEDI.html

Senator Lott Says He Will Back Drug Imports



WASHINGTON, March 11 — Supporters of legislation to allow imports of low-cost prescription drugs gained a significant convert on Thursday when Senator Trent Lott, the former Republican leader, said he would back the effort.

"I cannot explain to my mother any longer why she should pay twice or two-thirds more than what is paid in Canada and Mexico," said Mr. Lott, of Mississippi. "I'm switching my position."

[bandy]

12. this makes me laugh cause

I believe our VA buys it's drugs from Canada w/Bush's blessings (he wouldn't want that burden on himself). The same with Medicaid. Go figure! Yes, those drugs are unsafe if you are a Merikcan with limited income.