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>Internet pharmacies devastating Manitoba's drug supply >Monday March 22, 11:00 am ET >Manitobans Competing with Americans for Medicines >40% of Entire Drug Supply Sold to U.S. in 2003 > > >WINNIPEG, March 22 /PRNewswire/ - New research >released today by the Pharmacy Alliance for Canadians >found that internet pharmacy companies are diverting >more than 40% of Manitoba's drug supply to the United >States. >The Coalition for Manitoba Pharmacy analyzed the >research results and found that: > > - 40.8% of Manitoba's entire drug supply was >diverted to the U.S. in > 2003, up from 24.9% in 2002. > > - If present growth trends continue, internet >pharmacies will control > more than half of Manitoba's drug supply in >2004. > > In addition the Pharmacy Alliance for Canadians >research reported: > > - "Manitoba's internet drug traders sold to the >US 45.4% of the > province's total purchases of the top ten >chronic care therapeutic > classes." > > - "The percentage of Manitoba's purchases shipped >to the US accelerated > sharply in 2003." > > - The total percentage of medicines diverted to >the US grew by 64% > between 2002 and 2003. > > >These findings validate survey results released by the >Coalition for Manitoba Pharmacy in November, 2003, in >which more than 80% of Manitoba community pharmacists >reported having a harder time finding sufficient >supplies of prescription medicines for their patients. >That survey also found that 66% of Manitoba community >pharmacies were struggling to hire or maintain enough >pharmacists to care for their patients. > >"We're going to show this data to the Manitoba and >federal governments and demand that they take action >to stop the bleeding," said Lothar Dueck, president of >the Coalition for Manitoba Pharmacy and a community >pharmacist in Vita, Manitoba. "The Manitoba government >has taken the position that the cross-border drug >sales are an economic issue. We're telling them that >forcing Manitobans to compete for our own medicines >with cash-paying Americans makes this a health care >issue. The government has ignored the concerns of the >province's pharmacists and doctors. And now it has >reached crisis proportions." > >"Just Not Right": Veteran Health Policy Expert > >"This is a betrayal of Manitoba's health care >birthright," said Archie Orlikow, resident pharmacist >for the Manitoba Society of Seniors and a veteran >health policy expert for the Manitoba New Democratic >Party. Mr. Orlikow was also one of the original >members of the Manitoba government committee that in >1971 brought in the interchangeable drug formulary and >Pharmacare. "We spent decades building what I believe >was the most effective and democratic health care and >drug benefit systems in Canada. And now we see >Manitoba's pharmacy care and prescription drugs being >sold off in the U.S., so that a few internet pharmacy >owners can make hundreds of millions of dollars of >profit. That's just not right." > >The Coalition for Manitoba pharmacy was formed by >Manitoba community pharmacists concerned about the >impact of the fast-growing international internet >pharmacy industry on Manitoba health care and on the >pharmacy profession.

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