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That is all true but we don't have to buy from shady producers. Canadian and European producers supply their own very safe and mature markets. Buy the stuff tha

That is all true but we don't have to buy from shady producers. Canadian and European producers supply their own very safe and mature markets. Buy the stuff that the UK NHS buys and at the same prices - their scale gets them good deals (with notable exceptions). This can't be worse than the current deal.

Kalium 11y ago
This might surprise you, but conditions that encourage abuse also encourage people to find ways to avoid having their abuse detected. Yeah, it can be worse than the current deal. Just look at the problems China has with counterfeit food.
- robotresearcher 11y ago
  This whole thread is about a horrible abuse present in the current system. The potential for abuse in an alternate system does not disqualify it. There is no perfect system and bad actors are everywhere. However, I don't see terrible endemic problems in the UK, Canada or the Eurozone from importing drugs. I'm sure they exist sometimes. But in the entire rest of the G7 drug costs are less and their outcomes no worse than the US.
  - Kalium 11y ago
    If the problem is abuse, that a proposed successor system may not be better is a major source of concern.
    - shawn-furyan 11y ago
      If the situation is as I read it: - Importing drugs from countries with reliable drug regulatory infrastructure would have substantial benefits, including a check on cost (sorely needed), and improved availability of less profitable drugs - Other similar countries are doing this without seeing measurable negative health outcomes then getting hung up on this 'major concern' that seems to have been rendered moot elsewhere makes most people worse off. Mentioning the existence of potential (and unlikely?[1]) downsides is not an adequate cost-benefit analysis. [1] not that it's unlikely that there will be people who try to take advantage of the system, but it seems unlikely that given appropriate regulatory care, the downsides will be unmanageable to the extent that they cause the change to allow drug imports to have an overall negative impact. [edited for clarity, including the addition of the footnote]
  - harryh 11y ago
    The counter argument is that most new drugs are developed in the US (due to the large profit margins here) and that the UK, Canada & the EU are essentially free riding off the US in this area. Not sure I completely buy this argument, but there it is.

Kalium 11y ago

This might surprise you, but conditions that encourage abuse also encourage people to find ways to avoid having their abuse detected. Yeah, it can be worse than the current deal. Just look at the problems China has with counterfeit food.

robotresearcher 11y ago
This whole thread is about a horrible abuse present in the current system. The potential for abuse in an alternate system does not disqualify it. There is no perfect system and bad actors are everywhere. However, I don't see terrible endemic problems in the UK, Canada or the Eurozone from importing drugs. I'm sure they exist sometimes. But in the entire rest of the G7 drug costs are less and their outcomes no worse than the US.
- Kalium 11y ago
  If the problem is abuse, that a proposed successor system may not be better is a major source of concern.
  - shawn-furyan 11y ago
    If the situation is as I read it: - Importing drugs from countries with reliable drug regulatory infrastructure would have substantial benefits, including a check on cost (sorely needed), and improved availability of less profitable drugs - Other similar countries are doing this without seeing measurable negative health outcomes then getting hung up on this 'major concern' that seems to have been rendered moot elsewhere makes most people worse off. Mentioning the existence of potential (and unlikely?[1]) downsides is not an adequate cost-benefit analysis. [1] not that it's unlikely that there will be people who try to take advantage of the system, but it seems unlikely that given appropriate regulatory care, the downsides will be unmanageable to the extent that they cause the change to allow drug imports to have an overall negative impact. [edited for clarity, including the addition of the footnote]
- harryh 11y ago
  The counter argument is that most new drugs are developed in the US (due to the large profit margins here) and that the UK, Canada & the EU are essentially free riding off the US in this area. Not sure I completely buy this argument, but there it is.