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Canadian pharmacists are worried that the lack of data on prescription management could repeat the situation of diabetes and the drug Ozempic, of which thousands of doses have been shipped across the border to America.
Canadian Pharmacists Association vice-president of public affairs Joelle Walker said Americans buying cheaper Canadian drugs is nothing new.
But he said the case of Dr. David Davison, a Nova-Scotia-licensed physician based in Texas who regulators say has been prescribing Ozempic to U.S.-based customers through a BC pharmacy, highlighted the urgent need for a “national conversation” about how Canada can protect its prescription drug supply against bulk orders. mentioned.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia said last week it issued an interim suspension of Davison’s license after learning of the alleged practices of the BC College of Pharmacists.
Ozempic’s primary use is to treat diabetes, but demand for the drug has increased due to its off-label use for weight loss, fueled by social media and celebrity endorsements.
One of the main challenges, Walker said, is that there isn’t a solid understanding of the prevalence of buying Canadian prescription drugs in the U.S. because the data isn’t readily available.
He said the first step is to secure data on prescription drug management in Canada, so regulators can see where the problems are before they can address them.
Demand is increasing
“It’s very easy when you have a specific case like Ozempic,” Walker said. But without knowing “how many other drugs are being sold and in what quantities … online for Americans, it is very difficult to make the right policy solutions.”
The Ozempic issue came to light after BC officials discovered that up to 15 percent of prescriptions for the drug in the province in the first two months of 2023 went to America.
BC Health Minister Adrian Dix announced that the province will limit access to Ozempic to non-residents.
WATCH | BC restricts sales of Ozempic to the US:
Davison, who graduated from Dalhousie University in 1977, did not respond to a request for comment.
He is registered by the Texas Medical Board as a physician at Texas Tech Family Medicine in Odessa. The records show no complaints, other than noting in a “non-TMB disciplinary action” that the Nova Scotia license had been suspended.
The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center – which operates Davison’s practice site – said the organization “recently learned” of an “confirmation” that it can prescribe Canadian Ozempic to US patients.
“We are looking into the matter and will address it internally and as appropriate,” the statement said.
An alarm sounded through the gap
Organizations such as the Canadian Pharmacists Association and the Canadian Health Policy Institute have raised the alarm about possible loopholes that would allow Canadian prescription drugs to end up in the US.
Peter Loewen, an assistant professor at the University of British Columbia and a pharmacotherapeutic specialist at Vancouver General Hospital, said the difference in drug prices at the US border, combined with the free movement of people and goods, means managing the flow of prescription drugs is easier said than done.
“Our economies are interconnected,” he said. “And this issue is one that will be addressed.
“It’s the regulatory and trade relationship between our countries, and the fact that many Canadians move between those countries, like Americans, [that] make it trivial to create an easy solution.”
Walker said the discussion about prescription drugs should also take into account that Canadians also use cross-border prescriptions when they travel or move to other provinces.
As such, the new policy on prescription drug movement must be “careful” not to create “unnecessary barriers for Canadians to access care.”
But the status quo, he said, could create panic buying from Canadian consumers if they aren’t sure their drug supply is protected.
“We need to make sure that Canada is not seen as the solution to American problems that need American solutions.”
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