For Immediate Release
October 18, 2004

Canada Must Stop Cross-Border Exports of Prescription Drugs

Do not raid our medicine cabinet, says group of Canadian patients, seniors and pharmacists

TORONTO, ON - The federal government must act now to prohibit the practice of cross-border
Internet pharmacies and the exportation of pharmaceutical drugs to the U.S., a group representing millions of Canadian patients, seniors and pharmacists said today.

The group presented a set of recommendations for federal and provincial governments, provincial
regulatory bodies for pharmacists and physicians, the pharmaceutical industry and patients/consumers.

"We have Senator Kerry and President Bush suggesting Canada's drug supply is a solution to
their problem of higher U.S. prescription drug pricing. Put simply, they are talking about raiding
our medicine cabinet. This is a prescription for disaster and it is Canadian patients who will
suffer," said Louise Binder, Chair, Canadian Treatment Action Council and a member of the Best
Medicines Coalition. "It's disappointing that the Canadian government has not acted definitively
to protect the supply and safety of Canada's prescription drugs."

Concerned over the growing effects to Canadians of the Internet drug sales to Americans, groups
including CARP Canada's Association for the Fifty-Plus, the Best Medicines Coalition (BMC),
the Canadian Treatment Action Council (CTAC), Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA), the
Coalition for Manitoba Pharmacy and the Manitoba Society of Seniors came together to jointly
call for immediate action to stop the exportation of drugs from Canada to the U.S.

"There is no way that a pharmaceutical supply chain built to meet the needs of 32 million
Canadians can meet the needs of more than 300 million Americans. Canadians will pay the price
if this practice continues," said Dr. Jeff Poston, Executive Director of the Canadian Pharmacists
Association. "As a pharmacist, I also have serious concerns about safety. Medications are potent
and patients need proper care to ensure they are used correctly. Drugs are a therapy, they should
not be treated as a commodity to be bought from anywhere in the world at the cheapest price."

In the joint statement, the groups outlined their concerns regarding the threat the mass exportation of drugs poses to Canadians' access to drugs and access to pharmacists and physicians in Canada.

"Although prescription drugs require a Canadian doctor's signature on all prescriptions filled in
Canada, many doctors may be co-signing U.S. prescriptions," said Lillian Morgenthau, President
of CARP. "It is CARP's position that a patient should be examined before a prescription is issued
so that the doctor is aware of a patient's health issues and possible reactions to a drug."

In fact, the practice of doctors signing prescriptions for U.S. patients they have not seen has come under greater scrutiny as provincial licensing bodies are initiating disciplinary action against
physicians.

"We would like to see the federal government make changes to the Food and Drug Act in order to prevent any threat of exports of prescription drugs meant for Canadians. This could be the best way to both protect patients and end the cross-border drug trade," said Morgenthau.

The group is urging the federal government to act immediately to stop the export of prescription
medications to ensure their continued availability at affordable prices for Canadians. In a joint
statement, the group made specific recommendations, including:

• That the federal government act immediately to end prescription drug exports.
• That the federal government commit to continued support for Canada's drug price control regime that ensures that Canadians have access to prescription drugs at much lower prices than in the U.S.
• That provincial governments support the role of the self-regulatory bodies for physicians and pharmacists to make sure they have the power to control the cross-border internet pharmacy industry in their jurisdictions.
• That provincial regulatory bodies for pharmacists and physicians continue to monitor, and where necessary, discipline those members who are engaged in cross-border internet pharmacy.
• That a pan-Canadian information-sharing program be created so that those physicians and pharmacists who are engaged in the cross-border internet pharmacy industry can be identified and disciplined effectively in all jurisdictions.
• That the pharmaceutical industry in Canada support the existing supply chain to ensure medicines are available to all Canadians when they need it; that it continues to work with governments, patients and other stakeholders to address the issue in the best interest of Canadians and that it continues to work within the present drug pricing regulatory system in Canada.
• That patients/consumers are provided the information and tools to raise awareness of the impact of the cross-border drug exportation, including the potential for price increases, shortages and lack of access to pharmacists and physicians.
• That patients/consumers are empowered to provide feedback to governments, health care professionals, and policy makers regarding the impact of drug exportation on access and quality of care.

"What worries me as a Canadian is our government's willingness to wait for a crisis to happen
before taking action," said Binder. "This issue was raised in the House of Commons last week
and the Minister of Health said that the safety of Canadians and adequate supply of drugs is not in jeopardy at this time. What we want is proof of safety first, not proof of harm. We've seen
plenty of warning signs in the system that point to a potential crisis. The government should be
acting to prevent a health care disaster rather than waiting for one to unfold," she said.

Groups endorsing the call to action include: Canadian Treatment Action Council, CARP - Canada's Association for the Fifty-Plus, Canadian Pharmacists Association, Best Medicines Coalition, The Arthritis Society, Canadian Breast Cancer Network, Arthritis Consumer Experts, Canadian Hepatitis C Network, HepCURE, Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, Consumer Advocare Network, Manitoba Society of Seniors, Coalition for Manitoba Pharmacy, Yellowhead Tribal Council (representing five First Nations groups in Alberta).