Bernie Sanders joins group of U.S. diabetics coming to Ontario to buy cheaper insulin

U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders says he will be joining a group of diabetics to buy cheaper insulin in Ontario on Sunday.

The Vermont senator tweeted that the high cost for insulin has put the lives of American diabetics at risk and he will be joining the group in Windsor, Ont., as they purchase the vials for a fraction of the price.

Typically, a vial of insulin Type 1 diabetics need to regulate their blood sugar costs about US$340 in the United States, roughly 10 times the price in Canada.

Sanders has long targeted pharmaceutical companies for the cost of prescription drugs, and he made a similar medication trip to Canada in 1999.

Multiple trips from Americans heading to Canada for cheaper insulin has raised concerns about its supply in Canada, despite insulin tourism being relatively small scale.

A recent letter from 15 groups representing patients, health professionals, hospitals, and pharmacists urges the federal government to safeguard the Canadian drug supply.

 

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© 2019 The Canadian Press

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