For immediate release

November 1, 2006 (Toronto) -- The Best Medicines Coalition (BMC) offered its full support for a Dr. Carolyn Bennett’s Private Members’ bill to ban the bulk sales of prescription drugs from Canada to the United States. The current Conservative government has failed to follow through with plans to ban the unethical and dangerous business practice of cross border trade of pharmaceuticals thereby putting Canadian patients at risk, the BMC noted.

The legislation, an amendment to the Food and Drugs Act, was introduced October 31 in the House of Commons by the Hon. Dr. Carolyn Bennett, M.P. for St. Paul’s. Similar legislation was introduced by the previous Liberal government in the last session of Parliament.

“Allowing any export of prescription medications meant for Canadians puts our continued access in jeopardy. Recent regulatory developments in the U.S. which give a green light to small shipments of pharmaceutical shipments from Canada have heightened our concerns,” said Louise Binder, chair of BMC, a national group of organizations whose members represent the voices of some 10 million Canadians living with or affected by chronic illness.

“This is an urgent issue which warrants aggressive, immediate action by our government. These unethical trade practices serve those with commercial interests, not Canadian patients,” added Binder.

The BMC was formed in 2000 as a grassroots group of consumer and advocate organizations. The BMC is a broad-based alliance of organizations and individuals working in or promoting education, care, research and consumer-focussed advocacy on issues related to drug review reform, drug access and health policy development. This communication regarding the Private Members’ legislation introduced October 31, 2006, was developed and endorsed by the BMC’s Operating Committee, a group of patient advocate representatives chosen by the organizations larger membership.