Hmmm not enough flu shots here.... lets go to CANADA!

[Nemesis]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...1&ncid=716

I saw an article just the other day stating that some Canadian official is trying to make a move so that it's illegal for Canadiands to ship drugs to the US anymore. How does everyone feel about this?

[vulturesrow]

Reimportation of drugs is a completely ridiculous idea. Did anyone think that the Canadians wouldnt make a move to prevent reimportation?

[elwoodblues]

I thought we were supposed to be afraid of the safety of Canadian medicine?

[Nicholasp27]

interesting how if it makes American Drug Corps (read lines Bush's pockets) rich, then Canada's drugs are "unsafe"

but if we need the flu shots cause of a screwup, suddenly they are safe enough for even our most fragile citizens (sr citizens and babies)

very interesting...almost seems like a, dare i say it, flip flop!

[EarlCat]

When we "import" Canadian drugs, we're not really importing the drugs (that would be silly since most of them were made here). What we're importing is the Canadian government's price controls. The problem with this is that the United States is about the last place on Earth a drug company can make a decent profit. If we no longer allow them to sell their product at market prices, any dip in the industry would cause these companies to go under. Then we'd be left with one of three possibilities.

1) The rest of the world would end their unfair price controls and let companies and consumers negotiate their own prices (HA!)
2) Drug companies would go out of business and we'd all have to start growing aloe plants and bread mold ourselves.
3) The US government would give into desperate public outcry to nationalize the pharmaceutical industry resulting in low quality, rampant bureaucracy, and rationing.

#1 will never happen. 2 and 3 are unconscionable. Drug reimportation is a BAD idea.

[cnfuzzd]

i too feel that the plight of the pharmaceutical companies is an under-publicised issue. I mean, a standard profit line of at least 24% on sales of billions is just austere...


peace

john nickle

[EarlCat]

That's only 24% of what actually makes it to the consumer. You're forgetting R&D costs and a 10 year waiting period to get FDA approval. Imagine if you had an idea today, and after spending close to a billion dollars developing it, having to wait until 2014 to know if you're even going to be allowed to sell it. 24% doesn't look that high anymore. By the way, the FDA's standards are so ridiculously high, aspirin would not make it to the market had it been introduced in the last 20 years.

Now tell me again why healthcare costs so much.

[Felix_Nietsche]

.....and Hillary for her price control legistlation.

Consider this scenario:
*Each year some people will develop horrible health problems whether they get a Flu shot or do NOT get a Flu shot!
*One of these people, who will develop a horrible health problem, happens to get a Flu shot.... and gets sick.
*Now, a "John Edwards: type lawyer takes the case and gets $10 million for his SINGLE client.
*Now, last year, the price for a flu shot was around $15.

Question: If the profit for a $15 Flu shot is $10, how many shots must be sold to pay off the SINGLE $10 million judgment? Answer: 1,000,000 shots.

The vaccine industry could charge say $25 a shot to compensate for the lawsuits but price controls were implemented. Remember: Price Controls = Shortages. Look at NYC with their rent control.

Now multiply the lawsuit risk by the millions of people getting Flu shots. Now....can you see why American vaccine companies have abandon the Flu shot business?

Trial lawyers kill jobs. Trial lawyers have already devastated the American small plane manufacturing industry. Those jobs went to Brazil and other countries with a less punative laws.

In Texas they passed tort reform where damages are limited to $250K. Personally, I think $250K is TOO small to address those who have been true vicims of severe negligence($750K to $1M is about right). But....the trial lawyers were getting too greedy and the pendulum swang the opposite way. Now, there is tort reform in Texas.

By the way, it is a myth that Canada has a huge suppy of Flu shots. Makes a nice newspaper story.

[elwoodblues]

[ QUOTE ]
Trial Lawyers are Responsible for the Flu Vaccine Shortage...and Hillary for her price control legistlation

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't forget Michael Moore and James Carville. I'm sure they are responsible as well.

[EarlCat]

[ QUOTE ]
Trial Lawyers are Responsible for the Flu Vaccine Shortage...

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't buy that for a second. I also don't buy this business of blaming trial lawyers for the cost of healthcare. Their job is to win cases for their clients, and in most cases their clients deserve to win. As for outrageous judgements of damages, you can only blame the courts for not excercising discretion in their decisions. It's not the job of the legislature to control damages rewarded by the courts. And I don't believe ridiculous judgements even approach the impact on the price of healthcare of unnecessary government regulation.

As for the flu shortage, you can blame that on regulation and price controls too. Lawyers aren't the problem.