With the defeat of two competing prescription drug discount proposals in the November 8, 2005 special election, politicians and interest groups who want to lower drug prices are likely to revisit a notion that has already been pursued unsuccessfully by California state legislators: the “parallel trade” of medicines from Canada and other countries with lower-priced prescription drugs.
This study estimates the benefits to Californian patients of acquiring lower-priced prescription drugs from Canada through “parallel trade”, as well as the potential costs to California-based companies and the resulting impact on the California economy.
