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by Cherie Payne and Jason Grier
In the summer of 2006, Canadian Health Minister Tony Clement surprised observers by announcing that Canada's generic drugs prices are too high. Making the remarks at the XVI International Conference on AIDS in Toronto, the Health Minister vowed to look into the issue in detail. In the autumn of 2007, the government delivered its findings.
Currently, there are 15 generic drug makers in the Canadian marketplace. In 2003, 43 per cent of drugs dispensed in retail pharmacies were generics, and total generic drug spending was $3.2 billion.
After interviewing pharmacies and generic manufacturers, and reviewing data compiled by independent research firms between January and April 2007, the Canadian government confirmed the Health Minister's suggestion, saying:
"several studies have found the price of prescription generics to be high in Canada compared to other countries."
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