Canuck candy store closing, eh?

It was just a matter of time before our genteel neighbors to the north said, "awww, hell no!" to our penchant of reimporting their subsidized drugs. Of course, anyone with a rudimentary sense of economics could have told you this would happen, that Canada would not sit idly by while Americans purchase drugs subsidized for the benefit of Canadian taxpayers, who are paying after all for these drugs through their high taxes. After all, as the market for reimported drugs expands, the Canadians would either have to cut off the exports of these drugs or forever be readjusting upwards their drug importation and subsidization, to the increasing cost and decreasing benefit of the Canadian taxpayer. Not to mention US drug makers would probably ratchet up the price to prevent Canadian importation in large numbers because it would just end up being sold at lower prices to American drug buyers shopping on the Web.

Canada is to impose restrictions on the export of prescription drugs to US citizens, who pay less for them abroad than they do at home.

The US has the highest drug prices in the world, leading many citizens to order their supplies from Canada.

Canadian Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh said his country could no longer serve as a discount "drug-store" for the US.

US lawmakers are debating laws that could authorise the bulk purchase of medicines from Canada.

The import of prescription drugs - though technically illegal - is widely tolerated in the US.

US citizens have been able to get their supplies from Canada either by crossing the border or by ordering them on the internet.