U.S. trade officials in a November meeting with Canadian Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh said that if the U.S. Congress passes a bill that would legalize the reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada, it might be difficult for President Bush to veto such legislation, which has prompted Dosanjh to support a limit on the practice, Dosanjh spokesperson Ken Polk said on Tuesday, the Boston Globe reports (Rowland, Boston Globe, 1/5). Dosanjh in December said he might mandate that Canadian physicians cannot co-sign prescriptions for U.S. residents who they have not examined. Canadian law requires that Canadian physicians sign prescriptions filled in the country. Dosanjh in a December Canadian television interview said, "I want to make sure that we don't have ... 250 million Americans buying drugs in Canada. We cannot be the drugstore for the United States" (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 1/3). According to Polk, Canadian officials also might mandate that pharmacies in the country cannot fill prescriptions for U.S. residents unless patients are present and establish a list of prescriptions that "can be restricted quickly in the event of shortages in Canada," the Globe reports (Boston Globe, 1/5). Dave MacKay, executive director of the Canadian International Pharmacy Association -- a group of Canadian mail-order pharmacies -- has alleged that Canadian officials negotiated trade concessions for products such as beef and lumber in exchange for increased opposition to reimportation (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 1/3). According to MacKay, a "high-level government source" informed him that Bush "made somewhat of an ultimatum." Some reports about the discussions at the November trade meeting are "sparking accusations" that Bush called for legislation in Canada "to stave off a debate in Washington about which he holds an unpopular view," the Los Angeles Times reports (Wallsten, Los Angeles Times, 1/5). According to the Globe, Dosanjh "confirmed that Bush discussed the Canadian importation issue with Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin during the trade talks" (Boston Globe, 1/5). A spokesperson for Dosanjh said that she would not comment on whether Bush asked Canadian officials to limit reimportation. White House spokesperson Trent Duffy on Tuesday said that Bush "made no such request of the Canadian government" (Los Angeles Times, 1/5).

Pawlenty Meeting
Meanwhile, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) on Tuesday, after a meeting with Canadian Consul General Kim Butler, said that Canadian officials have "no immediate plans" to limit reimportation, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports (Lopez/Lerner, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 1/5). Last week, Pawlenty in a letter asked Martin "not to slam the door on American consumers seeking more affordable medications from Canadian pharmacies" (Lohn, AP/St. Paul Pioneer Press, 1/5). After the meeting with Butler, Pawlenty said reports that Canada would enact legislation to limit reimportation "jumped the gun a little as to timing" (Minneapolis Star Tribune, 1/5). Pawlenty added, "We are temporarily relieved that a decision is not imminent." Butler said that because Canadian pharmacies are regulated by provincial governments, "We really do view it as a domestic issue more than a trade issue" (AP/St. Paul Pioneer Press, 1/5).

Reaction
A Dosanjh spokesperson on Tuesday said that the Canadian health minister "stands by his previous statements," the Star Tribune reports. MacKay said that he is "skeptical" about the comments from Butler, adding, "I think actions speak louder than words, so let's see if the (Canadian) government does indeed back off its approach" (Minneapolis Star Tribune, 1/5). Pawlenty said, "In the unfortunate event that Canada changes its policy, we will seek a way to keep ... MinnesotaRXConnect.com" -- a state Web site that helps residents purchase lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada -- "operating by facilitating purchases from European countries with safe pharmacy systems." Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), who supports the legalization of reimportation, said in a statement on Tuesday, "When is the president going to stand up for the health of American patients and stop protecting drug company profits?" (Los Angeles Times, 1/5). The Canadian Cabinet will reconvene on Jan. 11 (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 1/3).

Reimportation Study
In related news, the average discount U.S. residents received through reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada decreased from 38% in 2003 to 29% in 2004, according to a study released on Tuesday by PharmacyChecker.com, a Web site that tracks online pharmacy prices, the Wall Street Journal reports. The study also found that the average price for prescription drugs sold through Canadian online pharmacies increased by 23% between the first quarter of 2003 and the end of 2004. Prices for prescription drugs sold in U.S. pharmacies increased by 8% over the same period, the study found. According to the study, the increase in prescription drug prices sold through Canadian online pharmacies resulted in part because of higher acquisition costs as many pharmaceutical companies have banned the sale of their products to residents of other nations (AP/Wall Street Journal, 1/5). PharmacyChecker.com President Tod Cooperman said, "Americans still save hundreds or thousands of dollars a year on their drug bills using Canadian and other online pharmacies, but they have to shop around more than in the past" (Boston Globe, 1/5).