Health minister chides U.S. officials over cost-saving scheme to buy Canadian drugs

OTTAWA — Health Minister Mark Holland has been calling around to United States officials to let them know that the Canadian government will be guarding its medical drug supply after the U.S. moved to allow states to mass import medicine from Canada. 

He says he’s received assurances that the U.S. government has no intention of triggering drug shortages in Canada.

Health Canada issued a readout of Holland’s conversations in the past week with the U.S. secretary of health and human services and the American ambassador to Canada about the decision.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced earlier this month that it would allow Florida to import millions of dollars worth of pharmaceuticals from Canadian wholesalers as a way to save money on medicines that are more expensive south of the border. 

The decision prompted immediate concerns within Canada’s pharmacy sector about what that would mean for Canadian supply.

Holland says Canada has existing regulations that will prevent wholesalers and other members of the Canadian drug industry from selling medicine outside the domestic market if it could mean there’s not enough left for Canadians. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 16, 2024.

The Canadian Press