The FDA was created to serve the American public by assuring that our food and drugs are safe.  In recent decades, however, the FDA has focused less on public health and more on protecting drug-company profits.  That’s the real reason the Bush Administration and the FDA oppose medication imports from Canada.  Let’s look at some of the arguments against Canadian imports and compare them to the realities:

1.       Loss of Jobs

The Bush Administration claims that legal Canadian imports will cause a loss of jobs in the pharmaceutical industry.  The reality is that allowing drug imports — like other forms of free trade — will simply create a more competitive market, yielding lower prices that will put money back into American citizens’ pockets and stimulate the economy to produce even more jobs.
 

2.       Terrorist Threat

The FDA has stated that the legal importation of drugs from Canada could create another means for a terrorist attack.  This is simply fear-mongering.  Millions of Americans — as well as many state and local governments — import their prescription medications from Canada every day, and do so safely.  There is absolutely no evidence that legalizing drug imports will increase the terrorist threat.
 

3.       Canadian Drugs Are Unsafe

It is evident that Canadian prescription medications are safe based on the actions of the very government that won’t legalize them.  The U.S. government is the single largest importer of Canadian drugs in the world.  Additionally, many city and state governments defy the FDA and import drugs for their employees.  These medications are apparently safe enough for them, as well as the millions of Canadians that use them.

Despite what the FDA would like for you to think, drugs coming from Canada are safe and affordable.  The bottom line is the importation of Canadian drugs is prohibited by the FDA in order to protect the interests of large pharmaceutical companies.   It’s time for this to change.