The Health Minister of B.C. isn’t putting too much stock in the U.S. government now allowing prescription drugs to be imported from Canada.

Adrian Dix says there are enough prescription drugs available for Canadian but not for American consumers as well.

“I mean I think that’s an idea that has been floated rather than, shall we say, a substantive proposal. I don’t think as a practical matter what’s being proposed makes sense for them or for us.”

That said, Dix says if there was a substantial effort to take prescription drugs south of the border, then there would be an impact. He used insulin as an example after it was mentioned by the White House on Wednesday.

“If there was a substantial effort to say come to Canada and take Canadian insulin and bring it back to the United States, it isn’t individuals doing it but rather an organized effort, it would have an impact on insulin supplies in Canada and it could have an impact on non-patended supplies of medicine,” Dix says.

“I would say that I think it’s important not to over react, I think this is an idea that has been floated by the president of the United States. My view, and far be it for me to give advice to the American government, is that if they want to take measures to address healthcare costs in the United States, they have all the authority to do that in the United States.”