TORONTO: Canada's main pharmaceutical lobby group has urged the government not to wait for drug shortages before responding to U.S. plans to import Canadian drugs, according to documents seen by Reuters.
It warned that"reliance on reactive measures after shortages occur may pose a risk to Canadian patients." "Our government's priority is ensuring that all Canadians can get and afford the medications they need," Alexander Cohen, a spokesman for Canada's health minister, said in a statement. "Although purchasing agreements with suppliers may contain clauses that would prevent bulk export to the US, many Canadian pharmaceutical companies are subsidiaries of US corporations and may become obliged to do so through US legislation," the group warned in July.