Canada to study US drug-import plans

Canada's health minister said on Wednesday that it will work to ensure a new US proposal that would allow Americans to legally access lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada won't harm Canadians.

Ginette Petitpas-Taylor said in a statement that she looks forward to discussing with US officials the Trump administration announcement of earlier Wednesday. She said her agency constantly monitors the supply of drugs in Canada and will work closely with health experts to better understand the implications for Canadians and avoid any adverse effects on supply or drug costs.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced earlier on Wednesday that the Trump administration intends to set up a system that would allow Americans to legally import lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada.

Azar, a former drug industry executive, said that US patients will be able to import medications safely and effectively, with oversight from the Food and Drug Administration. States, drug wholesalers and pharmacists would act as intermediaries for consumers.

There are signs that some in Canada's medical industry might balk at the idea of sharing its supply of pharmaceutical drugs with the US.

"The Canadian medicine supply is not sufficient to support both Canadian and US consumers," a coalition of health, hospital and pharmacy groups said in a letter to Petitpas-Taylor.

The letter noted that Canada is allocated certain quantities of drugs based on national estimates and warned that the county's prescription drug shortages could grow even worse if the US begins to tap into its neighbor's supply.

The administration's announcement comes as the industry is facing consumer complaints over drug prices, as well as legislation from both parties in Congress to rein in costs. President Donald Trump is supporting a Senate bill to cap medication costs for Medicare recipients.

It also comes between two Democratic presidential debates. In Tuesday night's debate, Democratic presidential candidates tangled over drug costs, with several emphasizing the need for the government to negotiate drug prices directly with pharmaceutical companies.

Montana Governor Steve Bullock underscored the need for Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders talked about how insulin and other drugs are far cheaper in Canada than in the US. Sanders also spoke about leading a group of patients to Canada where they purchased insulin and other medications at fractions of the price they would have paid in the US.

The US move would reverse years of opposition from federal health authorities amid public outcry over high prices for life-sustaining medications. The drug industry has successfully blocked past efforts in Washington to allow importation.

The proposal would back efforts by a growing number of states to import lower-cost prescriptions from Canada.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this story.