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(Winnipeg, Manitoba) – January 12, 2003, Mr. Kris Thorkelson
The Manitoba International Pharmacists Association (MIPA), a provincial association of over 100 pharmacists engaged in the on-line/mail-order pharmacy industry today said the threat to stop supplying drugs to Canadian on-line/mail-order pharmacies by drug giant GlaxoSmithKline (Glaxo) would have a devastating impact on both sides of the border.
“We are outraged at this threat,” said MIPA President Kris Thorkelson, a Winnipeg pharmacist, and owner of Canada Drugs. “In the interest of their own profits, they are putting at risk the health of approximately one-million people who depend on our services, and that is unconscionable. But ‘greed’ comes ahead of ‘health’ in the dictionary, too,” Thorkelson observed.
Glaxo notified Canadian on-line/mail-order pharmacies in a January 3, 2003 letter, that it will discontinue supplying its products unless cross-border sales stop. Among its allegations were that drugs could be harmed in shipping.
“The major harm that will come from this will be to the million or so people who have finally found an affordable supply of prescription drugs,” Thorkelson said. “What are they to do if the supply dries up – choose between the more expensive U. S. version of the identical drug – which many have told us they can’t afford -- and food, shelter or other necessities of life?”
MIPA estimates that approximately one-million U.S. residents obtain drugs they otherwise could not afford through Canadian on-line/mail-order pharmacies. Typically, Canadians and customers elsewhere purchasing on-line and by mail-order through Canadian sources, pay approximatately half what the identical prescription drug would cost if purchased through U. S. retail sources. Thorkelson believes approximately 90% of U.S. purchasers are senior citizens who have limited or no prescription drug benefits through their Medicare health insurance plan, and might not otherwise afford appropriate prescribed medications. “Obviously, we’re cutting into Glaxo’s huge U. S. profits which together with their US market, they want to protect. They have no concern for the fact that they’re putting the health of a million people at risk.
“This is only the tip of the iceberg,” Thorkelson commented. “If Glaxo gets away with its outrageous scheme, other drug companies will certainly follow and that will force many people to make some very tough choices. It will be a tragedy for them, their families and friends. It’s a sad commentary on a company that purports to be concerned about health,” Thorkelson noted.
“The shipping of drugs across the border and elsewhere has always been and will continue to be safe, ensuring product integrity, and Glaxo’s claims about safety are without foundation,” Thorkelson added. “Drugs are shipped great distances in similar circumstances every day with no threat to their integrity. The same thing happens in the U. S. and elsewhere, yet the manufacturer is not raising the issue there. It’s just another smoke screen.” He added that Glaxo and its subsidiaries use the same shipping techniques to move its products to wholesalers and retailers all over North America. “But I guess they believe that what’s good for the goose is not good for the gander,” Thorkelson quipped.
Thorkelson noted that the Provincial Government of Manitoba has been very supportive of the on-line/mail-order pharmacy industry and is concerned about its continued viability. The on-line pharmacies in Manitoba were among the first to get started in this industry, and today are considered the leader in the industry in Canada. Currently there are approximately 45 on-line/mail-order pharmacies in the Central Canadian province with approximately $400-million per year in sales. The industry employs about 1,500 people in Manitoba. “This action would have a major negative impact on the economy in Manitoba, both from an employment and from the tax revenue standpoints,” Thorkelson said. “Some of our on-line/mail-order pharmacies are in rural areas where a shut-down could cripple an entire community.”
(EDITORS: MIPA has additional background information and spokespersons available. Please contact MR. KRIS THORKELSON at (204) 654-5170 Bus. OR (204) 228-2979 Cell. OR at his e-mail at kthorkelson@canadadrugs.com for additional assistance.)
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