Canada's pharmacists drug shortage concern

The Ontario Pharmacists' Association has written to Canada's Minister of Health, Tony Clement, to express grave concerns over "the imminent threat to Canada's prescription drug supply," due to the recent decision by the US Congress and border police to relax restrictions on drug imports to the USA from Canada (Marketletter October 10).

Noting that "US demand is more than ten times the size of Canadian supply," the pharmacists warns of a massive parallel trade away from Canada, which, even if drugmakers do not respond by restricting supplies to protect their revenues, could disrupt supply to the point where there are significant drug shortages.

Mark Kealey, the OPA's chief executive, also quoted an unnamed US source as predicting that, if unrestrained exports from Canada were permitted, that the country would face supply problems within 38 days.