WINNIPEG, MANITOBA - Nov. 10, 2003 /Send2Press Newswire/ -- As the owner of CanadianOnlineRX.com it only makes sense for the millions of Americans on fixed incomes to buy medications from Canada, says company president Robert Becker.

"We can save Americans up to 85% on their prescriptions. The Canadian government implements costing control over the large pharmaceutical manufacturers (Big Pharma). This coupled with the exchange rate of the Canadian dollar makes medication much more affordable in Canada. This is extremely alluring to American seniors, those who are uninsured, underinsured or simply can t afford the much higher U.S. cost for medicine. In fact many American civic, county and state governments with budgetary woes are seriously looking at buying medication from Canada."

"Regulated certified licensed Canadian pharmacies guarantee high quality and safe products more so than any other country in the world. We say this because most of the medications shipped to the U.S. are manufactured in the U.S. and are the same medications sold by American pharmacies. You don t see Canadians dropping dead from these same medications that are re-imported to the U.S. Canadian pharmacies and pharmacists practice the highest of safety standards and must adhere to extensive safety and ethical regulations or their licenses would be revoked."

"There has never been one documented incident of an American that has suffered any form of injury by medication re-imported from Canada. Yet Big Pharma and political opponents of drug re-importation from Canada continue to fear monger the issue of safety. Big pharma is actually creating safety issues by limiting Americans access to their products with their price gouging."

Contines Becker, "The only reason the Canadian online pharmacy industry exists is because the large drug manufactures (Big Pharma) are price gouging the American public. They cite Research and Development to justify their unscrupulous high prices. Yet they only spend 11% to 15% of their revenues on R&D and up to 35% on advertising. Does Big Pharma really need to spend this much on advertising while the American public is forced to pay for drug R&D for the rest of the world?"

"Canadian cross-border sales of safe and affordable medication barely make up 1% of Big Pharma s revenues. This is not what scares or motivates Big Pharma to shut down drug re-importation from Canada. We are just a drop in the bucket to them. Big Pharma is afraid the American public will stand up and take their politicians to task. From what I can see, Big Pharma needs to be afraid."

In an article published today in the Financial Times, "Canada yesterday introduced a bill to allow the export of cheap generic drugs to poor countries stricken by epidemics such as AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. It is the first country to introduce such legislation since a World Health Organization agreement in August paved the way for such exports. This is one of the most important steps Canada can take to advance global health and human rights and we hope to see other G8 [industrialized] countries following suit," said Bill Graham, foreign affairs minister. The proposals were "broad, flexible and faithful to what WTO members have spent so long negotiating," said Pierre Pettigrew, international trade minister.

"Ethically," says Becker, "I see no difference between an American senior or a citizen from a third world country being denied access to safe, affordable and often times life sustaining medication because of unscrupulous corporate greed and practices or political positioning."

Canadian online pharmacies are not the cause nor the cure for the disproportionate pricing for medication between the U.S. and other industrialized nations. This is an issue that has to be addressed on Capitol Hill and at the voting booths of America. And without the financial influence of Big Pharma.

Until Americans can find cost parity at their local pharmacies, they will look north for more humane medication costs. Until that happens and should Big Pharma and the political opponents to Canadian drug re-importation shut down the border, Americans will be forced to go else where to find affordable medication. The only problem then is that Americans will not be buying safe quality medication that has been manufactured in the U.S. and to both U.S. and Canadian health standards. This may pose the greatest safety risk of all.

CanadianOnlineRX.com, 1205 Richard Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3E 3H3. Ph: (877) 337-8470

Organization Website: www.CanadianOnlineRX.com
Source of News: CanadianOnlineRX.com

Canada Business Newswire / DotCom Newswire
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