Citing increased U.S. demand that threatens to pinch Canadian drug supplies, health officials in that country are considering a plan to shut down cross-border prescription sales to Americans over the Internet and through the mail.The move, which Canadian Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh and his staff are scheduled to begin formal, closed-door discussions of next week, could have broad implications for efforts here by Gov. Rod Blagojevich and other politicians to leverage Canada’s price controls on drugs to the advantage of American consumers.Aides to Dosanjh said no quick decision is expected on whether to implement the ban. But they stressed that Dosanjh had grown worried that increased U.S. demand for Canadian pharmaceuticals could result in shortages for Canadians. The aides also said Dosanjh had strong ethical concerns about allowing Internet pharmacies to continue dispensing prescriptions written by Canadian doctors for American patients they hadn’t seen.A decision to close the border would bolster efforts by the Bush administration to stem the tide of U.S. citizens getting prescription drugs from Canada. An administration study submitted last month to Congress outlined safety concerns about importing drugs and said the projected savings for consumers weren’t as much as import advocates claim.Along with Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, Blagojevich sent a letter to President Bush Wednesday asking him to use his influence to discourage Canada from moving forward on the plan, even though it would be consistent with the president’s opposition to drug imports.Blagojevich has been among a growing bipartisan group of politicians that is fighting Bush on the importation issue. He and U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) contend that importing more drugs will create competitive pressures that will force pharmaceutical companies to lower their prices in the U.S. Blagojevich and Emanuel have even organized a program, so far lightly used, in which residents of Illinois and a few other states can purchase drugs through the Internet from Canada and Europe.But a political debate could wind up being moot if Dosanjh decides to block exports. Approximately 2 million people are believed to be turning to Canada for at least some prescription drugs.Decision already made?Supporters of the Canadian Internet and mail-order pharmacies fear a decision by the Ottawa government has already been made, just not formalized. They warned that U.S. citizens who want to continue buying cheaper drugs from Canada might soon have to show up in person rather than simply ordering them on their computers.
