WASHINGTON - An American legislator called Canada "parasitic" on Wednesday for siphoning U.S. dollars to Canada with low prescription drug prices while his country does "all the innovation."
Canada benefits financially from America's role as a world leader in medical advances, Republican Sen. Bob Corker charged in an exchange with a Liberal MP as she testified before a U.S. Senate committee.
"One of the things that has troubled me greatly about our system is the fact that we pay more for pharmaceuticals and devices than other countries, and yet it's not really our country so much that's the problem, it's the parasitic relationship that Canada and France and other countries have towards us," the Tennessee lawmaker told Carolyn Bennett.
This is part of a story on www.yahoo.ca and the rest can be read at: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090930/health/health_us_cda_health_canadians_1
Those who run our governments really know how to push the envelope. Whatever happened to the ideals of democracy? Is it right to say that Canada is 'parasitic' or is it the 'predatory' nature of the American health care system that is driving her citizens to patronize cheaper alternatives in Canada. Water always tends to find its level. So when it comes to economic indices, I guess price coupled with the forces of supply and demand rules. The Canadian government does not necesarily regulate the price of generic prescription drugs so as to keep them low, making Senator Bob Corker's accusations totally unrealistic.
Canada cannot be blamed for the overly extreme profit motivation of the American Pharmaceutical industrial complex. What the good Senstor should be doing is fighting for reforms in his own backyard rather than pointing an accusing finger at a friendly neighbour whose action is benefitting hundreds if not millions of Americans. Which is why four fingers are pointing back at him.
No comments:
Post a Comment