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>Pharmacist refutes U.S. allegations >October 10, 2003 > >By Eliza Barlow > >Terry Fraser has absolutely no doubt that the >prescription drugs he sends south to American >customers are safe and authentic. > >"I have no doubts, because I buy from good sources," >says Fraser, owner and pharmacist at Smart Med >Pharmacy in Roblin, which does nearly 90 per cent of >its business with U.S. customers. > >"I don't buy from anybody down on the street corner." > >The United States Food and Drug Administration said >this week that nearly 90 per cent of the imported >mail-order drugs stopped at the borders of the U.S. in >a summer crackdown were potentially dangerous and >possibly counterfeit. > >Fraser says it's no secret that a black market in >prescription drugs is thriving in the United States, >where drugs cost, on average, two to three times the >price of those in Canada. The government controls drug >prices here, keeping costs down. > >"There's a large market where overseas pharmacies >actually sell without a prescription," says Fraser, >adding his customers must have a prescription before >he'll send them drugs. > >The FDA conducted spot inspections of mail packages >from Canada, India, Thailand, the Philippines, China, >Brazil, Peru and Mexico that appeared to contain drugs. > >They said they found 88 per cent of the packages >contained unapproved drugs. > >Fraser says it is almost certainly the drugs from >countries other than Canada were unapproved. > >"All our medications that we sell are approved by the >Health Protection Branch of Canada, which is the >Canadian equivalent of the FDA," he says. > >"We supply information to the customers regarding the >licensing bodies and such, saying even though the >drugs aren't FDA-approved, they are approved by the >government here." > >In the last few years, Internet pharmacies, which >profit from selling Canadian prescription drugs to >American customers at Canadian prices, have sprung up >in Manitoba and are now a $400 million annual industry. > >An estimated one million U.S. residents buy >prescription drugs through Canadian online pharmacies. >Most of the customers are senior citizens. > >A legislative amendment that legalizes drug imports >from Canada and Europe passed in the United States >House of Representatives this year, though the Bush >administration and 53 senators say they're opposed to >it. > >The amendment is opposed by such drug giants as >GlaxoSmithKline, who critics say are afraid the >imports will cut into their U.S. profit margin. > >Glaxo and other large drug companies have already cut >off supply to many Internet pharmacies in Manitoba Ñ >Fraser says the question is how those pharmacies >continue to get their products. > >"I haven't been cut off yet by anybody," he says. "But >the ones that are cut off, where are they getting >their drugs from?" > >Mark Rzepka, vice president of Mediplan Health, >Manitoba's largest Internet pharmacy, said earlier >this week that while his company has been cut off by >Glaxo, none of his customers have gone without Glaxo >products yet, though it's becoming difficult to get >the drugs. > >Rzepka could not be reached for comment yesterday. > >Fraser says he's optimistic about the future of >Internet pharmacies, adding the Internet side of his >business is growing at a steady rate of 25 per cent a >month. > >"I think it's looking healthy, personally. I think >it's looking good." > >ebarlow@brandonsun.com

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