The U.S. government has made it illegal to buy drugs from Canada, and it has attempted to justify its actions by saying drugs from Canada are not safe. But I don't buy it.
In the December 15 issue of Bottom Line Personal there is a front-page article by Gary Passmore titled "Prescription Drugs from Canada." In the article, he makes a statement that is very revealing.
Bottom Line Personal: "The U.S. government says that importing Canadian pharmaceuticals poses safety risks. Are Canadian drugs truly less safe than American drugs?"
Gary Passmore: "Health Canada (the Canadian department of health) is as rigorous in its inspections of pharmaceutical makers and distributors as the FDA. There has been no documented death or illness caused by an unsafe drug sent to an American from a Canadian pharmacy."
The U.S. government says drugs from Canada are not safe. Gary Passmore, a man who has toured Canadian pharmacies for a Californian advocacy group, says drugs from Canada are safe. Who is right?
Let's put common sense aside for a moment and just look at the facts. Take a look at this life expectancy table. It compares the life expectancies of the 18 countries with the best longevity.
Where's the U.S. listed? In 16th place, with a life expectancy of 77.1 years.
Now where's Canada? It's not even close to the U.S. That's because it ranks 5th in the world for longevity. Canadians have a life expectancy of 79.4 years, a full two years longer than Americans are expected to live.
Whether it's related to their prescription drugs or not, Canadians, on the whole, are healthier than Americans. That's what the life expectancy tables show us. So why would the U.S. government want to illegalize Canadian drugs? It should be clear to you by now, but let me quote Passmore.
"The only reason the U.S. government is claiming that there are safety issues [with drugs from Canada] is that the pharmaceutical industry has considerable power in Congress and wants Americans to buy drugs at higher prices."
Passmore's statement is powerful, but it lacks some of the lucidity I would like it to have. So let's dissect it to see what he's really saying....
Statement #1: "considerable power in Congress" - This is just a polite way of saying that the U.S. government receives millions of tax dollars from American pharmaceutical companies. To permit competition between American and Canadian pharmaceutical companies would mean an immediate reduction in the taxes received by the U.S. government.
Statement #2: "wants Americans to buy drugs at higher prices" - Of course the pharmaceutical industry wants Americans to buy drugs at higher prices. Higher prices mean more profit! To permit competition between American and Canadian pharmaceutical companies would also mean an immediate reduction in the profits of American pharmaceutical companies.
"So what are you trying to say, Ryan?"
Only this: The U.S. government's illegalization of drugs from Canada is, at root, a classic Darwinian act of self preservation. It has nothing to do with protecting Americans. It has everything to do with preserving the income of those who work on Capitol Hill.
