U.S. eats into Canada’s Ozempic dose supply. Here why it’s an issue | 24CA News
Canada’s pharmacists fear an absence of knowledge about prescription administration may see a repeat of the state of affairs with diabetes and weight-loss drug Ozempic, during which hundreds of doses have been mailed over the border to Americans.
Read extra:
B.C. to safe entry of Ozempic after ‘unusually high percentage’ bought by U.S. sufferers
Canadian Pharmacists Association vice-president of public affairs Joelle Walker stated Americans shopping for cheaper Canadian medication is nothing new.
But she stated the case of Dr. David Davison, a Nova-Scotia-licensed doctor primarily based in Texas who is alleged by regulators to have prescribed giant portions of Ozempic to U.S.-based prospects by way of BC pharmacies, highlights the pressing want for a “national conversation” on how Canada can shield its prescription drug provide towards such mass orders.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia stated final week it issued an interim suspension of Davison’s licence after studying of his alleged practices from the B.C. College of Pharmacists.
One of the primary challenges, Walker stated, is that there isn’t a robust sense of the prevalence of mass U.S. shopping for of Canadian prescribed drugs as a result of the info isn’t accessible.
She stated step one ought to be securing knowledge on prescription-drug administration in Canada, permitting regulators to see the place the problems are earlier than with the ability to handle them.
“It’s very easy when you have a very specific case like Ozempic,” Walker stated. But with out understanding ‘how many other drugs are being sold and in what quantities?’ in a web-based style to Americans, it’s very troublesome to provide you with the appropriate coverage options.”
Ozempic’s major use is to deal with diabetes, however demand for the drug has spiked not too long ago as a result of its so-called “off-label” use for weight reduction, hyped by social media and movie star endorsement.
The Ozempic subject emerged after B.C. officers found that as much as 15 per cent of the drug’s prescriptions within the province through the first two months of 2023 went to Americans.
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix introduced that the province would prohibit entry to Ozempic for non-residents.
Davison, who graduated from Dalhousie University in 1977, didn’t reply to requests for remark.
He is listed by the Texas Medical Board as a doctor at Texas Tech Family Medicine in Odessa, Texas. His data present no complaints, aside from noting below “Non-TMB Disciplinary Actions” that his Nova Scotia licence has been suspended.
The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center _ which operates Davison’s place of observe _ stated the group “recently became aware” of the “assertion” that he could have prescribed Canadian Ozempic to U.S. sufferers.
“We are looking into the matter and will address it internally and as appropriate,” the assertion stated.
Organizations such because the Canadian Pharmacists Association and the Canadian Health Policy Institute have been sounding the alarm about doable loopholes that permit Canadian prescribed drugs to finish up within the U.S.
Peter Loewen, a University of British Columbia assistant professor and Vancouver General Hospital pharmacotherapeutic specialist, stated value variations for medication throughout the U.S. border, mixed with the free motion of individuals and items, imply regulating the circulate of prescribed drugs is simpler stated than achieved.
“Our economies are intimately intertwined,” he stated. “And this subject is one which will get caught up in that.
“It’s the regulatory and trade relationship between our countries, and the fact that so many Canadians move between the two countries, as do Americans, (that) make it non-trivial to come up with what may seem like simple solutions.”
Walker stated any dialogue about how medication are prescribed additionally must consider that Canadians additionally make use of cross-border prescriptions when travelling or shifting to a different province.
As such, any new coverage on prescription drug actions must be “careful” to keep away from placing up “unnecessary barriers for Canadians to access care.”
But the established order, she stated, could create panic shopping for from Canadian customers if they don’t seem to be sure their drug provides are protected.
“We need to make sure that Canada isn’t seen as sort of the solution to an American problem that needs an American solution.”
© 2023 The Canadian Press
