| Americans have begun buying their prescription | | | | the FDA. |
| drugs online from internet pharmacies based in | | | | The FDA could regulate the Canadian |
| Canada. If you've ever looked at some of these | | | | pharmaceutical trade, and investigate as to which |
| Canadian drug websites, you may have noticed | | | | Canadian pharmacies, online or offline, are making |
| that many of the drugs are 80% cheaper in | | | | the drugs themselves and/or buying the drugs |
| Canada then they are in the United States, which | | | | directly from American drug manufacturers, as |
| begs several questions. | | | | opposed to those that are making them in foreign |
| Firstly, Canadians pay fantastically less for the | | | | countries. |
| same medicines than Americans because the | | | | Most of the drugs sold by Canadian internet |
| Canadian government stipulates a price ceiling at | | | | pharmacies are drugs that were made in the |
| which they allow drug manufacturers to sell to | | | | USA, and have simply been sold to Canadian |
| Canadian drug distributors, and the government | | | | distributors. Some of these drugs are |
| also controls the prices at which Canadian | | | | manufactured by Canadian manufacturers. But |
| distributors can then sell those drugs to the public. | | | | rather than publish a buyers guide for Americans |
| So, the pharmaceutical industry is tightly regulated | | | | and allowing us to buy our drugs from "certified |
| and price controlled by the Canadian government, | | | | Canadian pharmacies", they make the whole |
| resulting in very cheap, very affordable | | | | practice illegal to increase the profitability of the |
| prescription drugs. | | | | American drug industry. |
| This socialized system for prescription drugs is not | | | | Yes, it is true that there are some rogue |
| anywhere to be found in the United States. In the | | | | companies on the internet masquerading as |
| U.S., drug companies are allowed to sell medicines | | | | Canadian pharmacies that are actually Mexican |
| to the public at whatever prices the market can | | | | pharmacies that don't even have a doctor and |
| bear. Isn't that nice? We live in a country so free | | | | pharmacist review your medical history before |
| that our drug companies can charge us $350 for | | | | sending you the medicine. |
| 20 tablets of Viagra or Cialis, whereas in Canada | | | | But the FDA could easily set up a legal |
| you can get it for $90. | | | | Canadian-American drug trade where the FDA |
| As a result of these enormous price | | | | makes it legal for Americans to buy their drugs |
| discrepancies, internet pharmaceutical suppliers in | | | | from a select group of Canadian pharmacies that |
| Canada have launched extensive marketing | | | | buy all their products directly from the U.S. or |
| campaigns targeted at the U.S. to capitalize on the | | | | manufacture their drugs in the facilities of |
| American demand for affordable prescriptions. | | | | Canada's major drug companies. |
| Visit any search engine and type in the words | | | | This isn't likely to happen, however, because we |
| "Canada drugs" or simply type in the name of any | | | | have an administration in Washington that is for |
| prescription drug you can think of, and you'll find a | | | | the corporations and by the corporations, and an |
| ton of Canadian-themed sponsored links for online | | | | FDA whose sole purpose is to protect the windfall |
| pharmacies based in Canada selling drugs that are | | | | profits of the drug manufacturers while allowing |
| so cheap it makes your eyes pop. | | | | drug companies to make and sell hugely |
| But is this legal? According to the FDA, the | | | | overpriced, noxious drugs that kill us, like Vioxx |
| importation or re-importation of drugs into this | | | | and others they've allowed onto the market that |
| country from a foreign source is against the law. | | | | produce harmful and sometimes lethal side |
| Simply put, it is technically illegal to buy drugs | | | | effects. |
| from Canada that were either manufactured in | | | | If the FDA sponsored a system of legal and |
| Canada or manufactured in the United States and | | | | regulated prescription drug buying from Canada, |
| then sold to Canadian distributors. Is this dumb? | | | | this would force American pharmaceutical |
| Absolutely. | | | | companies to drop their prices by 80% to |
| The FDA says that they can't guarantee the | | | | compete, resulting in a better situation for the |
| "quality" of the drugs from Canada, that these | | | | consumer. The drug companies would still make |
| drugs might be dangerous, that they might have | | | | profits, because the demand for the drugs would |
| been poorly manufactured or improperly | | | | go up tremendously if they suddenly became |
| formulated, or manufactured in facilities in | | | | affordable for people without health insurance, but |
| Southeast Asia. | | | | the profits wouldn't quite be the same. |
| So, the FDA is dismissing the idea of allowing | | | | For the time being, Americans will continue to |
| Americans to legally purchase drugs from Canada | | | | have to choose between buying food for their |
| because the products might have been made in a | | | | family or buying health insurance they can't afford |
| bathtub in Cambodia, because I suppose | | | | that hardly covers the costs of the drugs they |
| Canadians are too dumb to make this stuff on | | | | can't buy. |
| their own. This is an absurd excuse on the part of | | | | |