By Elishya Perera
MONTRÉAL, Québec (CWBN)_ The Canadian government has imposed restrictions on the distribution of several prescription drugs outside of Canada, in order to avoid a shortage within the country, following the expected surge in demand from the US.
Canadian Health Minister, Patty Hajdu, signed an order on Friday (Nov 27) to limit bulk exports with the aim of safeguarding the country’s drug supply.
The move was in response to the decision of the United States to permit pharmacists and wholesalers to import certain prescription drugs in bulk.
The Trump administration announced the decision in September this year, and just weeks ago President Donald Trump said the rule would cut drug prices by half, since it would eliminate middlemen and enable pharmacists and wholesalers to import drugs directly from Canada.
However, the Canadian government believes the new US rule would not significantly reduce drug prices in the US, since the Canadian market only represents 2 percent of global pharmaceutical sales.
In a statement issued on Saturday (Nov 28), the Health Minister said that the government is committed to defending the country’s health care system, and added that the recent decision is necessary to ensure Canadians’ access to medication.
“Our health care system is a symbol of our national identity and we are committed to defending it…The actions we are taking today will help protect Canadians’ access to the medication they rely on,” Hajdu said.
The Health Ministry says that the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the drug shortage in Canada, as demand grows for certain medication required to treat the virus. While Canada experienced about 10 serious drug shortages in 2019, this amount increased to 42, by late October this year.
Although the recent order did not specify the drugs which would face restrictions on exporting, however, according to Health Canada spokesperson Anna Maddison, the order will only apply to the categories of drugs that have reported shortages. It does not apply to over-the-counter drugs, drugs manufactured in Canada, or those imported solely for the purpose of export, Maddison said.
Edited by Chathushka Perera
