Wednesday, April 28, 2004

From Bloomberg:
Canadian Drug Officials Voice Concern Over Imports
U.S. imports of prescription drugs are causing shortages in Canada and have raised concerns about patient safety, Canadian pharmacy authorities told a U.S. panel studying the cross-border sales.

The 13-member panel, appointed by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, is examining whether medicines can be imported safely. The meeting in Rockville, Maryland, was the fourth in a series of public hearings.

From Reuters (UK):
Drug Imports Would Hurt Research -Economists
Legalizing importation of medicines may provide a quick fix for some Americans struggling to pay high U.S. prices but would force drug makers to cut research budgets, economists told a U.S. task force on Tuesday.

Their arguments echoed drug industry complaints that giving Americans legal access to cheaper medicines would reduce company revenues and leave less money to develop new treatments.

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