It’s an understatement to say that any new idea invites debate. In Colorado and other states across the USA, legislation has come under consideration that would import certain prescription drugs from Canada as a means of tackling the high prices often paid by American consumers. While I will not wade into the conversation about if this is right for Colorado, I would like to set the record straight about some misinformation that has found its way into the political rhetoric.

Canada is not a backdoor to the United States for counterfeit, unsafe or illegal pharmaceuticals. Canada’s prescription drug system is safe, and the government of Canada is a world leader in taking action to ensure the continuing safety of our pharmaceutical products. 

The Canadian pharmaceutical industry is highly-regulated and designed to ensure that prescription drugs are safe and effective for our own citizens. Health Canada has a strict approval process for drugs, with standards comparable to those of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This process includes a thorough assessment of all outcomes through controlled clinical trials and other studies, as well as a quality assessment based on chemistry and manufacturing data. Once a drug is approved, Health Canada continues to oversee and respond to new information, including adverse reactions.  

Many websites purporting to be “online Canadian pharmacies” for Americans are in fact fraudulent and have no link to Canada or our nation’s pharmaceutical industry. How can we be sure? Because Canadian pharmacists are not permitted to fill a prescription from physicians who are not licensed to practice medicine in Canada. This includes American doctors.  

Consumers in Colorado and elsewhere are urged to be extremely cautious of such websites. It seems the author of an op-ed published in Colorado Politics had the misfortune of encountering such a scam (“Don’t open the floodgates to cheap, risky, imported drugs,” Feb. 5). I personally am grateful she was not more seriously harmed. As she notes, others have not been so lucky.

To be sure, it is true that counterfeit drugs do flow both ways between our two countries. They are problematic in both America and Canada, and indeed around the world. This is why Canadian and American law enforcement agencies, border authorities and public health agencies are working hand in hand, 24/7, to address these dangers. Canadian customs officers have been provided additional resources and authorities to stop counterfeit drugs from entering Canada and to destroy them when found. 

And, I am pleased to report, they are having success. For example, over a one week period in October 2018, Canadian law enforcement officials seized or refused over 3,000 packages of suspected counterfeit health products, with a street value of more than $1 million. These seized products and others like them will no longer threaten the public safety.

Canada and the U.S. share an enduring commitment to securing our borders and ensuring the lives of our people are made safer and more prosperous. This includes our world-class pharmaceutical regulation and law enforcement systems. 

While any legal system of importation from Canada to Colorado would need to be addressed in the legislature, Americans can be assured of one basic fact: Canadian-produced pharmaceuticals are as safe as their own.

Stéphane Lessard

Consul General of Canada in Denver