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>Canadians could soon be caught in Internet pharmacy >fight: pharmacist > >MICHELLE MACAFEE >Canadian Press > > >Friday, February 27, 2004 >ADVERTISEMENT > > > >WINNIPEG (CP) - Canadians who buy their drugs from >independent retail pharmacies may soon have to find >another dispenser because the businesses say they've >become unfairly tangled up in the cross-border fight >over Internet pharmacies. > >Pfizer Canada banned two other drug wholesalers >Thursday from distributing the company's products, >including a Winnipeg-based company that supplies >medicine to more than 120 independent pharmacies. > >Pfizer spokesman Don Sancton said the two companies >joined several others on its blacklist because they >were selling drugs to Internet pharmacies for export >to Americans, a violation of their trade contracts >with Pfizer. > >"Certainly (the pharmacies) will have to make a >switch," Sancton said in an interview from Montreal. > >"But I think with the choice of other distributors >that are available there shouldn't be a problem for >them finding a supply." > >For Real Mulaire, who operates a small pharmacy in >St-Pierre-Jolys, Man., south of Winnipeg, the move >means he is only days away from having to tell his >customers that he can no longer sell them popular >drugs such as Celebrex for their arthritis, Lipitor >for their high cholesterol or Norvasc for their high >blood pressure. > >"I'm furious," said Mulaire. > >"I've been dragged into this whole situation while >we're not even a part of it." > >Mulaire said he buys all of his stock from ProCurity >Pharmacy Services, Inc., which was cut off by Pfizer >on Thursday. > >Mulaire, who owns shares in ProCurity, acknowledged >some of the company's shareholders operate Internet >pharmacies. > >However, president Wayne Rivers told pharmacies in a >letter sent Thursday the company has been unfairly >shut out by Pfizer. > >"We believe the decision to remove ProCurity Pharmacy >Services from authorized distribution status is >unfounded and erroneous, possibly based on >misinformation supplied to Pfizer," said the letter >obtained by The Canadian Press. > >The letter states the company has always abided by >Pfizer's terms. > >Rivers could not be reached for comment. > >A spokesman for Prairie Supply Co-operative, the >second company Pfizer blacklisted Thursday, said it >had been selling to Internet pharmacies, but stopped >earlier this month after an earlier warning from >Pfizer. > >Laurie Gauthier said the Calgary-based co-operative, >which supplies about 250 retail pharmacies in Alberta, >Manitoba and British Columbia, may have let an online >pharmacy "unintentionally slip through the cracks." > >"But to the best of our knowledge we have restricted >sales as asked," said Gauthier. > >Sancton said Canadians should not feel the impact of >Pfizer's action because pharmacies not involved in the >Internet trade can buy drugs from one of the 13 >authorized Pfizer distributors in Canada. > >He said the action is necessary to stop Canadian drugs >from being shipped to the U.S. at cheaper prices than >Americans could buy them locally, and to ensure the >supply of drugs available to Canadians is not >jeopardized. > >But the Coalition for Manitoba Pharmacy, a grassroots >organization of pharmacists opposed to online >pharmacies, said Pfizer's decision to add two more >distributors to its list signals the next stage in the >debate over the industry. > >"We're now into phase two," said spokesman Lothar >Dueck, who runs a pharmacy just outside Winnipeg. > >"The Internet pharmacy problem is now out of the >pharmacy and into the patients' homes." > >Mulaire said it could take him several weeks to get >set up with another supplier, leaving him to send his >customers to larger competitors. > >And finding a distributor could be difficult since >many insist on minimum orders. > >"It's not being recognized by our government that >Internet pharmacies are creating havoc for the >distribution and obtainment of medications," said >Mulaire. > >"They're sticking their heads in the sand." > >Health Canada has said it has so far found no evidence >of drug shortages or other problems. > >The Manitoba government is also on the lookout for >problems, but has embraced online pharmacies for the >jobs they have created and economic spinoffs.

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