Name (required):

  Expression ^{(Optional mood/title along with your name) Examples: (happy, sad, The Joyful, etc.) help)}

  E-mail address (optional):

Type your message here:
>Dosanjh advises provinces not to help on-line >drugstores > >Minister reacts to Manitoba bid to keep industry alive >by changing regulations > > > >By GRAEME SMITH >Globe and Mail Update E-mail this Article > Print this Article > > > > > Advertisement > >Follow This Topic >Have the news stories that matter most sent to your >inbox daily. > >Follow the news… > >on >Hardware Reviews > >on >Software Reviews > >Create your own alert > > > > > >WINNIPEG — Provinces should not lower their regulatory >standards to help Internet pharmacies, Health Minister >Ujjal Dosanjh says, warning that his government might >amend federal law to restrict the cross-border trade. > >The minister was reacting yesterday to regulators in >Manitoba who say they're working toward new rules that >would allow Internet drugstores to satisfy federal >Food and Drug Act requirements. > >"One does not resolve ethical dilemmas, with respect >to ethics and standards that have been established for >centuries, by lowering ethical standards," Mr. Dosanjh >said. > >The federal minister started pushing the provincial >regulators in recent weeks to enforce rules that >forbid doctors from signing prescriptions for people >who are not their patients. > >Many Internet pharmacies feared that such enforcement >would be fatal to their industry, because they rely on >Canadian doctors who approve U.S. prescriptions for >patients with whom they have no direct contact. > >Regulators in Manitoba, where the majority of the >4,000 to 5,000 Internet pharmacy jobs are located, >declared this week that they're trying to find a way >to keep the industry alive. > >But Mr. Dosanjh said U.S. President George W. Bush's >recent visit gave Ottawa reason to be worried about >the Internet pharmacies, because officials from the >United States said they want to expand the on-line >drug trade. > >"Those are the indications we received," Mr. Dosanjh >said. > >"And you know, if that happens, our pricing regime >[for conventional prescriptions] may come crashing >down." > >Any damage to the Canadian system that keeps drug >prices about 40 per cent lower than prices in the >United States would prompt Ottawa to take action, Mr. >Donsanjh said, as would any threat "in any way or >shape" to the drug supply. > >Federal officials have developed three options for >taking action against the Internet pharmacies, Mr. >Dosanjh said. > >One idea is an amendment to the Food and Drug Act to >forbid doctors from co-signing prescriptions or >pharmacies from accepting them. > >Another proposal would ban Canadian doctors from >writing prescriptions for foreigners, unless they are >visitors or immigrants. > >The third option would add a clause to the act >allowing federal officials to place certain drugs on a >"protected list" in case of shortages. > >"Those are the kinds of issues we're looking at," he >said. "It's very important for us to do that work, >because ultimately, there are two questions in my >mind: One, the security and safety of the supply for >Canadians, and two, the ultimate protection of our >pricing regime in Canada, which is affordable for all >Canadians." > >Jim Rondeau, Manitoba's Healthy Living Minister, >suggested that Mr. Dosanjh probably has something else >on his mind as he pushes against the Internet >pharmacies > >"This might be Dosanjh reacting to big pharma," Mr. >Rondeau said, noting that U.S. pharmaceutical >companies have been lobbying Ottawa to restrict the >cross-border trade because it undercuts their prices >and publicizes the fact that the United States have >the highest drug prices in the developed world. > >"I think what we have is a change of attitude after >the American President's visit and that's passing >strange to me," Mr. Rondeau said. > >"We're not going to try to supply the entire United >States." > >Manitoba has become a key battleground in the issue of >Internet pharmacies. Regulators in Ontario have >already created rules that effectively ban the >business, although only one pharmacy has been >prosecuted. > >Brenda Osmond, deputy registrar of the College of >Pharmacists of British Columbia, said her organization >will be watching the Manitoba example closely.

Notice: Copies of your message may remain on this and other systems on internet. Please be respectful.