Mail-order internet pharmacies in Canada cannot meet the needs of American consumers and may cause shortages for Canadian patients.

Because Canadian pharmaceutical production represents less than 5 percent of the American pharmaceutical market and Canadian price controls apply only to drugs manufactured for Canadian consumption, re-importing drugs from Canada will not meet the needs of uninsured Americans. In fact, far from meeting the needs of American consumers, the growth of unaccredited internet mail-order pharmacies in Canada is likely to create shortages for Canadian patients and force Canadian regulators to act to curtail mail order drug sales to the U.S.

Data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (O.E.C.D.) shows that Canadian pharmaceutical production in 1999 (the last year for which data is available) was $4.7 billion, less than enough to meet Canadian domestic consumption. During that same year prescription drug sales in Canada totaled $ 6.8 billion.i By contrast, in 1999 total prescription drug sales in the United States were $103.9 billion. All figures are adjusted to the U.S. exchange rate.

According to a recent Canadian study, by 2005, pharmaceutical products manufactured in Canada will supply only 27% of the needs of the Canadian domestic market. The balance will be imported from other countries.