Thursday, November 20, 2003

From Health Canada:
Canada's Health Minister responds to comments made by the Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration
During their joint press conference Commissioner Mark McClellan made a number of comments regarding the practice of internet pharmacy, how drugs are regulated in Canada and Canada's pharmaceutical pricing regime. I would like to clarify comments made by Dr. McClellan.

First, the Commissioner may have left the impression that unsafe Canadian drugs are going across the border to the United States as a result of the practice of internet pharmacy. Let me assure all Canadians that drugs approved for use in Canada are safe. We have one of the most rigorous drug approval systems in the world to assure safety, quality and efficacy. Health Canada's priority and mandate is the safety of drugs approved for sale in Canada.

From the National Post:
FDA warns Canada: halt drug sales
"What's the job of the FDA? The FDA's responsibility is patient safety. They should not be commenting on profit margins or research costs," said Andy Troszok of the Canadian International Pharmacy Association. "They're very political, they're heavily influenced by the pharmaceutical industry and I think they're stepping outside their bounds. Why is the FDA coming to Canada to get Canada to do their work?"

From Yahoo News:
Drug Firms Take Aim at Canada Trade
Executives of major pharmaceutical companies said on Thursday they are concerned about the safety of Americans who try to buy cheaper prescription drugs from Canada, but companies involved in the cross-border trade say the real issue is pricing.

From the Billings (MT) Gazette:
Mail-order drug company fights shutdown order
A Billings store that arranges cheap Canadian drugs for customers is fighting a state order that shut it down, even as its national affiliate is trying to overcome a similar federal order.

Rx Depot argued in state District Court on Thursday that the state Board of Pharmacy doesn’t have authority over it because the firm does not sell drugs or employ pharmacists.

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