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>Canada may soon end cross-border drug sales to U.S. >Pharmarcists blame pressure from Bush > >WASHINGTON > >The door might soon close on Internet and mail-order >sales of low-cost prescription drugs from Canada. > >A group of Canadian pharmacists and other advocates of >legal drug importation warned Thursday that the >Canadian government plans to crack down on Canadian >mail-order pharmacies that sell medicines to what's >estimated to be 2 million Americans. > >"The threat is very real, in fact, it's imminent," >said Dave MacKay, the executive director of the >Canadian International Pharmacy Association, which >convened a conference of pharmacists from across >Canada this week. > >MacKay's group blames pressure by the Bush >administration on Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, >saying that the Canadian government made an abrupt >about-face on its policy soon after the two leaders >met Nov. 30 in Ottawa. > >A White House spokesman said he had not heard that >charge, but added that Bush's top concern on drug >importation was maintaining a "safe and effective" >drug supply. > >"That's an issue that continues to be looked at," said >the spokesman, Jim Morrell. > >The Minnesota Senior Federation, which has a Web site >directing people to Canadian pharmacies, said it will >consider steering its members to Europe and other >sources of U.S. government-approved drugs. > >"We don't want to overreact, but we want to get our >resources in order," said Lee Graczyk, the group's >legislative director. "We've known for a while that >this was a possibility." > >The proposed Canadian restrictions would not affect >people who travel to Canada and see Canadian doctors. > >Meanwhile, Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, a >Republican who has championed a state Web site >directing people to approved Canadian pharmacies, is >drafting a protest letter to the Canadian government. > >In a statement Wednesday, Pawlenty said, "The Canadian >government should not slam the door on American >consumers seeking more affordable prescription >medicines from safe Canadian pharmacies." > >Canadian law requires that prescriptions be signed by >Canadian doctors. In the past month, Canadian Health >Minister Ujjal Dosanjh has said publicly that he >considers it unethical for Canadian doctors to co-sign >prescriptions for American patients whom they have not >examined. > >Under new rules that could be taken up by the Canadian >Cabinet as soon as Jan. 11, Martin's administration >could criminalize the practice, effectively ending the >$850-million-a-year cross-border trade. > >"We're very confused," said Andy Troszok, the >president of Extended Care Pharmacy, a mail-order >pharmacy in Calgary, Alberta. "The federal government >has allowed this business to start and flourish for >the last five years. There's been no issue of safety. > >"We can only think of one thing," Troszok added. "This >is politically motivated. There has been a deal >between our federal government and the U.S. federal >government." > >Troszok said he suspects that the Canadian government >has quietly won U.S. trade concessions on Canadian >beef and lumber in exchange for shutting down the >mail-order drug industry, which employs thousands of >Canadians. > >The White House dismissed such a linkage. "Canada's >actions are determined by the Canadian government, not >the government of the United States," Morrell said. > >The Food and Drug Administration has issued frequent >warnings about cross-border Internet and mail drug >purchases, which are technically illegal, though U.S. >authorities rarely act against individual retail >shoppers. Last week, a Bush administration task force >issued a report critical of drug importation, saying >that it poses "substantial safety risks." > >The Canadian government has raised alarms about >putting its own drug supplies at risk. In a speech at >Harvard Medical School last month, Dosanjh said, >"Canada cannot be the drugstore of the United States." > >Drugs are typically 40 percent cheaper in Canada than >in the United States because of Canadian-government >price controls. > >Canadian mail-order pharmacists say they can deal with >those threats, but they cannot survive if their own >government blocks cross-border sales without doctor >examinations. > >"If those regulations were to be implemented and >enforced, it would completely eliminate our industry >in Canada, and leave U.S. patients in a therapeutic >crisis," MacKay said.

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