Vitter: Destroying Canada's Prescription Drug System Will Lower Prices For Americans

This guy is an idiot.


Vitter's economics seem like they might just work -- or maybe not. Canada and other countries negotiate lower prices with the drug companies, who then demand exorbitant profits from U.S. consumers and our relatively free market. Arguably, by overwhelming other countries with American demand, their systems would break down. The next step here, is that Vitter believes this will cause prices to go up for everyone else, and down for us. (But we'd be curious what health care economists would say).

As Vitter told his questioner, who is apparently an Obama supporter: "I don't support price controls, but I actually think re-importation would cause that system, as well as these varying prices, to collapse. That make sense?"

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/08/vitter-destroying-canadas-prescription-drug-system-will-lower-prices-for-americans.php

And a clear record of acting to actually benefit his constituents.

not lower our prices even if they could.

that health care systems can negotiate good prices, but somebody has to pick up the tab for R&D.

It sucks that when you buy pills, the company/doctor who patented the medicine gets $10- $50 for each pill until their investment has been recovered or the patent runs out.

Also, the majority of R & D costs are born by the Federal GOvernment through research grants, the NIH, and other Federal programs.

The basic research is all paid for by the Federal and state governments.

The pharmaceutical companies come into play when trying to bring something to market. That's all.

Just mentioning a talking point that keeps appearing in discussions.

The companies put a lot of money into research that goes no where. When they get something that works, we end up paying not only for the successes, but the failures, as well.

It would be very easy for Provinces to pass legislation simply banning the sale of pharmaceuticals to any American, by any means. This would protect the Canadian supply and price structure. Such an action would be a guaranteed winner politically.

to ADVERTISE directly to consumers. No Cialis ads in Canada. No prescription drug ads of any kind in Canada. In the US we pay extra for our drugs just for the privilege of being told to ask our doctor for the little blue pill.

The book "The Conservative Nanny State" made some excellent points about how much innovative drug research actually goes on, and it is not much. A big hunk of it is in "me too" drugs while important in a patent paradigm to reduce monolopy rents being charged by the only supplier, do little for society as a whole.

I think we should pass legislation allowing all Americans access to a nationally negotiated rate. When Medicare/Medicaid/State Insurance/etc negotiate - they negotiate as a group and they bring the Canadian price list along for reference. We should pay no more than the Canadians for any drug.

I don't like reimportataion - it is wasteful and potentially dangerous since it is in the gray market.

Medicare Part D was passed to subsidize the costs of prescription drugs to Medicare beneficiaries. Prior to this, Medicare negotiated prices for prescription drugs with pharmaceutical companies. The "reform" is basically just welfare for pharmaceutical entities at the expense of the taxpayer.

It even drove my very conservative father batty at the time.

I live in the US, but I watch CBC all the time.
THere are plenty of viagra commercials.

The only two developed countries where DTCA is currently legal are the U.S. and New Zealand. (See Direct-to-consumer advertising in the United States and Direct-to-consumer advertising in New Zealand for more country-specific details). While banned elsewhere, the drug industry is mounting major lobbying campaigns to have DTCA allowed in Europe and Canada. (See Direct-to-consumer advertising: The Campaign To Overturn Europe's Ban and Direct-to-consumer advertising: CanWest's Bid to Overturn Canada's Ban for further details).

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Direct-to-consumer_advertising

If you are watching TV in the US, your local cable provider can run whatever ads they choose on whatever channel they choose, because the cable company is in the US.

Because Hockey Night In Canada was flooded with Viagra ads.