Last week, the Orlando Sentinel revealed that Florida has spent $50 million on a Canadian-drug import plan that hasn’t actually imported any drugs.
The stinky story got even ranker when it revealed that the money has gone to yet another politically connected firm — one that has funneled money into GOP campaigns, hired a lobbying firm cozy with Gov. Ron DeSantis and had previously snagged another state contract without going through the normal bidding process.
The firm, Life Science Logistics, scored a $50 million deal, courtesy of taxpayers who aren’t reaping any benefits.
Sentinel reporter Jeffrey Schweers reported the company “did not answer questions about what services the company has provided for that money.” Why would they? It doesn’t appear as if anyone in charge is demanding they do so.
Florida has paid vendor $50 million so far for stalled plan to import Canadian drugs
That all obviously sounds wastefully gross.
But let me submit that the biggest problem in all this isn’t this $50 million contract. It’s the fool’s-good solution of suggesting Americans turn to Canada for our prescription-drug woes.
Democratic politicians have suggested it. Republican politicians have suggested it. It’s a bipartisan cop-out.
Seriously, why would you ask another country to funnel cheap meds your way — instead of trying to do whatever that country did to provide the cheap drugs in the first place? How lazy.
If your neighbor had a great-looking lawn, would you ask him his secret to plush landscaping? Or would you just ask him to come tend to your lawn every day?
If you’re a lazy politician, you’d do the latter.
And if you’re a gullible member of the public, you’d cheer those lazy politicians on.
Politicians have been telling you for years that Canada has cheaper drugs. And it’s true. But have you ever stopped to ask: Why?
Have you ever just Googled the question: Why are drugs so much cheaper in Canada than in the United States?
If you do, our A.I. friends will give you an answer in less time than it took me to write this sentence.
Part of the answer involves government controls on pricing — the kind of thing many American politicians on the right denounce as improper government interference in a free market. Or even “socialism.”
So those politicians jet into retirement communities like The Villages to decry government-run health care in one breath while promising to import the spoils of government-run health care in another.
After Donald Trump staged one of those press conferences, Canada’s Globe and Mail newspapers noted the irony, saying: “Welcome to the socialist paradise of Canada, Mr. Trump.”
Oh, and if you’re googling things anyway, maybe also do a search on the size of Canada compared to America.
Canada has 39 million people. America has 330 million. Asking Canada to cover the United States’ Rx needs would be like asking Idaho to take care of New York.
“With all due respect, solve your own problems.” Those were the words of a public health expert at the University of Ottawa’s school of law and health a few years ago when I asked what he thought about Canada becoming America’s prescription drug salvation. Like many experts, he said it wasn’t logistically possible. But he also thought the idea of a country as big and advanced as America asking Canada to solve its health care problems was eye-rollingly ridiculous. I agree.
Florida craves Canadian drugs — the spoils of government-controlled health care | Commentary
There are lots of things this country could do to lower drug prices, none of which involve socialism. We could authorize and require government to enter into more aggressive negotiations with pharmaceutical companies. We could require more transparency in pricing. And yes, we could put some restrictions on pricing – especially in exchange for government funding of drug development.
But that would take standing up to the Big Pharma lobbyists who cut an awful lot of campaign checks. It would also require hard work. In other words, you’d have to mow your own lawn.
Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis aren’t the only politicians looking to Canada to solve America’s prescription-cost problems. Democratic and Republican leaders in Colorado, Vermont, Maine, New Mexico, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Texas have all proposed Canadian import plans as well.
Hardcore leftie Bernie Sanders was one of the first.
In fact, when I was looking for some photos to run with this column, I found one from back in 1999 when Sanders was organizing field trips to Montreal for octogenarians desperate for cheaper drugs. Sanders actually wanted America to import some of the policies that led to low prices. Most of today’s politicians just want the spoils of the system.
Politicians in this country have been yapping about Canada for decades. Unfortunately that’s all they’ve been doing. And it hasn’t done anything to help Americans … unless you happen to be one of the crony-connected firms able to profit off promises to import drugs that still haven’t made their way here.
smaxwell@orlandosentinel.com
