While there may be rejoicing on the part of US pharmaceutical interests over this possible legislation, I highly doubt that it's a result of the US "telling Canada what to do".
I'd also like to take this opportunity to apologize to Canada and the world at large for YourThickpa. Sorry, our bad.
Thank fucking christ
except for that Iraq war thing.....and gay marriage......and star wars.....oh yeah and that missile shield thing.....then there's the drug thing we're talking about now.....medical marijuana.....health care....Kyoto.....YourGrandpa wrote:
Canada does what the U.S. tells them to. FACT
No other proof needed.
When I feel it's time to go get drugs I go to Mexico. Much cheaper.
btw, I have no subscriptions (yet)
What little I do get from time to time, I just go to my local Walmart., But if I have to go get drugs for my Parents I get them from Mexico. I have a Uncle that lives in Arizona so it's rather easy to get it.
btw, I have no subscriptions (yet)
What little I do get from time to time, I just go to my local Walmart., But if I have to go get drugs for my Parents I get them from Mexico. I have a Uncle that lives in Arizona so it's rather easy to get it.
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Kammesennin
- Posts: 277
- Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2005 4:22 am
uhh, a subscription is what u get for a magazine. anyway, is that crap from mexico actually good for you? sorry I have this huge distrust of anything mexican. I can only imagine those pills to keep your blood pressure down causing your heart to pop.Denz wrote:When I feel it's time to go get drugs I go to Mexico. Much cheaper.
btw, I have no subscriptions (yet)
What little I do get from time to time, I just go to my local Walmart., But if I have to go get drugs for my Parents I get them from Mexico. I have a Uncle that lives in Arizona so it's rather easy to get it.
There is not pressure from the US to stop importing drugs; in fact, I believe there is more pressure from the US to ALLOW it. The FDA is against it, but on the grounds of safety (not that they have evidence that Canadian drugs are unsafe). Multiple state governments, in fact, support importing drugs and are involved in talks with Canadian government to allow it.
Bush himself has stated that he's not against it if the safety of the drugs is not comprimised. (Of course Bush says a lot of things, so that's hardly evidence).
I'd like to see a way for US citizens to give the finger to pharma companies, but I agree with GKY: there needs to be a long-term solution that involves US companies, otherwise R&D will come to a halt. Drug prices need to come down so people will still be willing to buy from US companies.
Also, importing drugs will also influence pharmacies to stock up on Canadian pills and resell them at an inflated price anyway. There needs to be some sort of regulation
Bush himself has stated that he's not against it if the safety of the drugs is not comprimised. (Of course Bush says a lot of things, so that's hardly evidence).
I'd like to see a way for US citizens to give the finger to pharma companies, but I agree with GKY: there needs to be a long-term solution that involves US companies, otherwise R&D will come to a halt. Drug prices need to come down so people will still be willing to buy from US companies.
Also, importing drugs will also influence pharmacies to stock up on Canadian pills and resell them at an inflated price anyway. There needs to be some sort of regulation
It's got nothing to do with government pressure. The pharmaceutical companies in the States are losing money every time someone buys from Canada.
Also, the drugs imported from Canada are overstocks and surplus -- do you guys really believe Canada is going to sell us drugs their people need? They haven't been doing that, and they'll never do that. That's why he only cited anecdotal hearsay in his statement.
US drug companies subsidize their R&D by selling to US citizens at an inflated price -- other countries get cheap drugs because the 'healthy' US economy could support the inflated cost. Now that more people are realizing what the drug companies are doing and realizing drugs are cheaper in other countries (people have been doing this for a while, but it has only recently become such a large trend, thanks in large part to Bush's Medicare prescription plan for seniors, which made drugs even less affordable to them over here), they decided they don't need to pay artificially inflated prices. Drug companies turned the other cheek before, but now that it's so widespread, they are starting to lose money.
Now, since those drug companies supply Canada with nearly all its advanced medicines, all the companies have to do is put pressure on the Canadian government (yes, it happens over there too, not just in the US government) to do something about it - or else Canada will face a price increase in their drugs.
If you think the drug companies would not do that, or that Canada's government would stand up to them and eat higher costs just on principle, then I think that's just willfully ignoring the situation.
Remember, Bush and our government don't have a principle-based policy on this -- their policy comes from the drug companies. Bush is running pretty low on his 'political capital' right now, and doesn't dare try to stir some of this crazy shit up in the middle of everything else. If the companies see pressuring Canadian resellers as an alternative, you can be damn sure they'll use it.
Also, the drugs imported from Canada are overstocks and surplus -- do you guys really believe Canada is going to sell us drugs their people need? They haven't been doing that, and they'll never do that. That's why he only cited anecdotal hearsay in his statement.
US drug companies subsidize their R&D by selling to US citizens at an inflated price -- other countries get cheap drugs because the 'healthy' US economy could support the inflated cost. Now that more people are realizing what the drug companies are doing and realizing drugs are cheaper in other countries (people have been doing this for a while, but it has only recently become such a large trend, thanks in large part to Bush's Medicare prescription plan for seniors, which made drugs even less affordable to them over here), they decided they don't need to pay artificially inflated prices. Drug companies turned the other cheek before, but now that it's so widespread, they are starting to lose money.
Now, since those drug companies supply Canada with nearly all its advanced medicines, all the companies have to do is put pressure on the Canadian government (yes, it happens over there too, not just in the US government) to do something about it - or else Canada will face a price increase in their drugs.
If you think the drug companies would not do that, or that Canada's government would stand up to them and eat higher costs just on principle, then I think that's just willfully ignoring the situation.
Remember, Bush and our government don't have a principle-based policy on this -- their policy comes from the drug companies. Bush is running pretty low on his 'political capital' right now, and doesn't dare try to stir some of this crazy shit up in the middle of everything else. If the companies see pressuring Canadian resellers as an alternative, you can be damn sure they'll use it.
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+JuggerNaut+
- Posts: 22175
- Joined: Sun Oct 14, 2001 7:00 am
That's basically what I was trying to say: we can't rely on drug importation for cheap drugs because US pharm companies will either raise the prices for Canadian drugs, or just keep losing money until they go bust (obviously the first case is more likely). Pressuring the companies to lower costs would be nice, but I don't think importing will give the result we -- or Canada -- want.R00k wrote:It's got nothing to do with government pressure. The pharmaceutical companies in the States are losing money every time someone buys from Canada.
Also, the drugs imported from Canada are overstocks and surplus -- do you guys really believe Canada is going to sell us drugs their people need? They haven't been doing that, and they'll never do that. That's why he only cited anecdotal hearsay in his statement.
US drug companies subsidize their R&D by selling to US citizens at an inflated price -- other countries get cheap drugs because the 'healthy' US economy could support the inflated cost. Now that more people are realizing what the drug companies are doing and realizing drugs are cheaper in other countries (people have been doing this for a while, but it has only recently become such a large trend, thanks in large part to Bush's Medicare prescription plan for seniors, which made drugs even less affordable to them over here), they decided they don't need to pay artificially inflated prices. Drug companies turned the other cheek before, but now that it's so widespread, they are starting to lose money.
Now, since those drug companies supply Canada with nearly all its advanced medicines, all the companies have to do is put pressure on the Canadian government (yes, it happens over there too, not just in the US government) to do something about it - or else Canada will face a price increase in their drugs.
If you think the drug companies would not do that, or that Canada's government would stand up to them and eat higher costs just on principle, then I think that's just willfully ignoring the situation.
Remember, Bush and our government don't have a principle-based policy on this -- their policy comes from the drug companies. Bush is running pretty low on his 'political capital' right now, and doesn't dare try to stir some of this crazy shit up in the middle of everything else. If the companies see pressuring Canadian resellers as an alternative, you can be damn sure they'll use it.
Personally, I wouldn't be too put out if those companies lose money because of imported drugs, but loss of R&D worries me because pharm money plays a huge role in drug research.
Yea, loss of R&D is a bad thing obviously, but I don't really see any way we could pressure these companies into lowering prices. They've got the market wrapped up, and they pretty much make the calls the way they want to. Their lobbyists and political contributions were the main reason the Medicare drug card bill was written to begin with. To any other company, that would be considered shooting yourself in the foot; but to the large pharma companies, it just means they have to throw their weight around in other directions to make sure it works the way they wanted it to.werldhed wrote:That's basically what I was trying to say: we can't rely on drug importation for cheap drugs because US pharm companies will either raise the prices for Canadian drugs, or just keep losing money until they go bust (obviously the first case is more likely). Pressuring the companies to lower costs would be nice, but I don't think importing will give the result we -- or Canada -- want.
Personally, I wouldn't be too put out if those companies lose money because of imported drugs, but loss of R&D worries me because pharm money plays a huge role in drug research.
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Keep It Real
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GONNAFISTYA
- Posts: 13369
- Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2005 8:20 pm
