Canada to eliminate drug importation
Canadian mail-order drug importation may soon be made illegal by new regulations proposed by the Liberal Government.
Canadian mail-order drug importation may soon be made illegal by new regulations proposed by the Liberal Government.
After quietly supporting the practice for four years, the Liberals made a conspicuous about-face after President Bush's visit to Canada last November.
If implemented, the new regulations will make it illegal for Canadian mail-order pharmacies to fill prescriptions for non-Canadian citizens. The Canada Food & Drug Act revision could be fast-tracked into law by the Liberal Cabinet, without consultation with the House of Commons, which doesn't reconvene until 31 January.
CIPA, a non-profit trade association representing 35 of Canada's leading mail-order pharmacies, whose members service about 2 million US patients, primarily seniors and the uninsured, have suggested that the move is politically motivated.
'Our sources indicate that President Bush pressured the Canadian government into a deal by enticing them with trade concessions because he wants this industry erased,' claimed David MacKay, executive director of CIPA.