Canadian pharmacists, pharmaceutical distributors and patients are extremely concerned by the proposed Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of 2007, and its serious implications for the integrity of Canada’s prescription drug supply.

We understand fully that your hearings will focus on the impact of this legislation on the United States and its citizens. As you proceed, however, we would urge you to widen your perspective to consider the repercussions of this legislation on Canadians and their healthcare system.

Our representatives would have liked to make these arguments directly to you. Your committee has however decided to invite only a few organizations to speak at the hearings, excluding any representation from Canada, the country most directly affected by this proposed legislation. Under these circumstances, we urge you to consider the issues in this written submission.

We would like to focus on three points. Allowing Canadian price-controlled medicines to be imported in bulk into the United States will have serious consequences for Canadians and will be of very little long term benefit to Americans. Not only will such a measure damage the Canadian drug supply, it will in all likelihood lead to increased drug prices for Canadians. The Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of 2007 is a quick-fix solution to a complicated issue which will not, given the differences of scale between Canada and the United States, significantly reduce the cost of prescription drugs in your country.

This proposed legislation also puts the health of Americans at risk by opening your borders to increased counterfeit drugs and criminal activity from outside North America. Although our submission does not address this issue in detail, we fully share the deep concerns expressed by organizations such as the American Pharmacists Association on this matter.

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