FDA trying to extend control to Canada

Big Bully

FDA officials are apparently not content to have jurisdiction over the regulation of drugs in the U.S. Now they’re trying to tell Canada what to do.

FDA commissioner Mark McClellan made a trip to Canada last month to persuade officials to lift prescription drug price controls and put an end to cross-border sales. His reasoning: The U.S. foots the bill for quite a bit of drug research, which has lead to the development of many of the most popular drugs.

This argument would hold water, of course, if in addition to funding research, the U.S. government also manufactured and distributed drugs. Add to that, Canada’s Patent Act already gives extra patent protection as well as financial incentives to drug companies that develop new drugs.

The situation was put into perspective by a spokesman for the Canadian International Pharmacy Association who told Canada’s National Post “What’s the job of the FDA? The FDA’s responsibility is patient safety. They should not be commenting on profit margins or research costs.” And he added, “They’re heavily influenced by the pharmaceutical industry and I think they’re stepping outside their bounds.”

So it appears that Commissioner McLellan’s “suggestions” weren’t exactly greeted with open arms. But he didn’t leave Canada empty-handed. Something called a “memorandum of understanding” was agreed upon, which is intended to improve information exchange between the U.S. and Canada. In other words, Canada sent the commish packing with an invitation to call and say hello anytime.

If only we could get the same amount of input from them here.

To Your Good Health, and Go Ravens!

Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute
Sources:
“FDA Warns Canada: Halt Drug Sales” Tom Blackwell, National Post, 11/19/03, nationalpost.com