Sounds like “Reefer Madness” all over again!
Oh the evil deeds men do under the influence of the sinister imported pharmaceutical!

I would like to point out that ALL 18 Canadian on-line pharmacies required prescriptions.  But remember buying your meds from Canada is dangerous because the FDA hasn’t apporved the less expensive generic versions available in Canada.  Do you think American citizens will ever really get tired of their government being run by the big business lobby?  Sure i am a free enterprise kinda guy but really do people actually enjoy getting ripped off? Especially by the peple they supposedly vote into office to help and protect them.... ARRG i really hate politicians we should just shoot them right after the lawyers!

Funnier yet is how the street level dealers can get drugs cheaper than at a pharmacy.

One could conjecture that some companies have found a way to sell their old, and going out of date stock.

The main reason the ‘street dealers’ or the imports are cheaper is because the government has signed a deal with the drug producers. It is some sort of compulsory licencing system in Canada. That is why many of the largest generic producers are from Canada. This is one reason why the drug companies is reluctant to sell AIDS drugs to Africa for a lower price. There is a fear that these drugs will be exported out of Africa and into the US.

And the reason why the US do not negotiate deals with the drug companies is because of the belief that do so in effect means setting a price ceiling. And that means market interference by the government.

If that is the end of the issue, then there would be strong reasons for the US government to actually negotiate a deal. But one argument against that is that doing so is a short term solution. Negotiating deals will mean less profits for the drug developers. Therefore with less profits, development of future drugs will be hampered. Development cost of drugs is high and not all succeed and in fact many fail. The high profits is require to offset those losses. With lower projected profits, it also becomes harder for such companies to obtain loans, if necessary, to finance the development. Either one have a expensive drug or not even have the drug developed at all.

Here is an intereseting article from “The Globe and Mail” a National Canadian newspaper.  Some important highlights are that in Canada the drug industry foots only 40ish % of the research bill on new drugs in Canada, also the study noted at the end of the article notes that 97% of researchers on a given project paid for by a company feel a certain drug is safe where 37% from outside feel the same.  If this is a valid sample an interesting stat. 

When it comes to health care I freely admit I have a huge Socialist streak and feel that drug and health research should be conducted in universities.  Drug companies that want a new drug tested and trialed should be applying to and paying Health Canada and/or the FDA for research by scientists paid by these agencies with all costs covered by the drug company and granted to the researching institute.  This would separate genuine research results from the profit of said results.  Researchers in the drug/health industries should also be banned from owning stock in companies for which they are conducting research.

How many drugs are on the market today that would not have made it given a larger separation between reseach and profit?

Health care is about the health of your society and a the free market to often puts profits above the safety of citizens.

When it comes to health care I freely admit I have a huge Socialist streak and feel that drug and health research should be conducted in universities.

Hear-hear!  What Lordklegg said!  I feel the same way but admit it only grudgingly being a free-market junkie.

One huge benefit of university testing is that it might also allow good rigorous tests of herbal remedies, etc.  Drug companies won’t touch these because they can’t be patented so there’s no profit in it.  We could finally get some definitive answers that this herb works and that one doesn’t.