Republicans and Democrats Continue to Block Drug Reimportation – After Publicly Endorsing It
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[QUOTE]Amidst all the angst and acrimony of last year's trench-warfare presidential campaign, there was one area in which the two major-party candidates purported to agree. Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump favored allowing the importation of cheap drugs from Canada.
Drug reimportation would be a no-brainer policy move if actual human beings ran our government. Disgust with high prescription drug prices is nearly universal – 77 percent say drug prices are "unreasonable" – and 71 percent of respondents favor allowing the importation of cheaper drugs from Canada.[/QUOTE]
[URL="http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/taibbi-on-republicans-and-democrats-blocking-drug-reimportation-w485638"]http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/taibbi-on-republicans-and-democrats-blocking-drug-reimportation-w485638[/URL]
The biggest argument I've heard against this is that it opens up the potential for drugs from Canada to arrive in the US market that do not meet FDA approval and have not been FDA-reviewed.
Given that the FDA cannot decide Canada's drug policies even if, by some chance, they are currently 1:1 equivalent, that's true, but it's not as if there's no way to solve that.
[QUOTE=elixwhitetail;52320869]The biggest argument I've heard against this is that it opens up the potential for drugs from Canada to arrive in the US market that do not meet FDA approval and have not been FDA-reviewed.
Given that the FDA cannot decide Canada's drug policies even if, by some chance, they are currently 1:1 equivalent, that's true, but it's not as if there's no way to solve that.[/QUOTE]
because people in canada are dropping dead left and right from bad drugs, right?
[QUOTE=Judas;52320874]because people in canada are dropping dead left and right from bad drugs, right?[/QUOTE]
Not that kind of drug, you're thinking of fentanyl
[QUOTE=Judas;52320874]because people in canada are dropping dead left and right from bad drugs, right?[/QUOTE]
It's less that and more that we could elect ourselves a Canadian Trump and go completely batshit and decide to gut pharmaceutical protections, and the FDA is then faced with a massive disruption to established drug supply chains as they have to slam the border shut to imports. It's an unlikely scenario, to be sure, but when dealing with medication and the potential to kill or permanently maim patients with substandard drugs, paranoia is a high priority because the consequences are irreversible.
But, as I said, it's not as if this is insurmountable. The FDA and Health Canada could have agreements forged that would strengthen their cooperation involving pharmaceuticals intended for Canada->US export. The US government clearly doesn't want to, and I suspect the US pharmaceutical lobby is making sure anyone who talks big about drug importation has a visit from a big check.
[QUOTE=Judas;52320874]because people in canada are dropping dead left and right from bad drugs, right?[/QUOTE]
Thalidomide was an approved drug in Canada but wasn't approved in the USA.
Would you want something like Thalidomide coming into your country through our border?
[QUOTE=Cakebatyr;52321151]Thalidomide was an approved drug in Canada but wasn't approved in the USA.
Would you want something like Thalidomide coming into your country through our border?[/QUOTE]
That was over 50 years ago dude
[QUOTE=elixwhitetail;52320869]The biggest argument I've heard against this is that it opens up the potential for drugs from Canada to arrive in the US market that do not meet FDA approval and have not been FDA-reviewed.
Given that the FDA cannot decide Canada's drug policies even if, by some chance, they are currently 1:1 equivalent, that's true, but it's not as if there's no way to solve that.[/QUOTE]
i could also see how any such equivalency system might be a backdoor for approval in the US too. your drug doesn't work to fda standards? sell it in canada and import it back!
that said i think it does miss the point because people (and politicians) were talking about drugs that are on sale here and in canada for eye wateringly different prices
concievably you would just install a system where if a drug is on sale here and in canada then you can import it from canada, i'd imagine europe and canada have something similar set up already anyways
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