Debate
Posted: Jul 23, 2020

Nationalizing drug manufacturing: A public necessity or a waste of money?

Be it resolved that the government must take over the manufacture of critical care drugs to prevent shortages.
by Saad Ahmed

The government must take over the manufacturing of critical care drugs

This pandemic, like the Spanish flu at the height of the Progressive era, is a chance for a burst of creativity in policy-making and a commitment to building new institutions. 

VS
by Ahsan Irfan

The government should not take over the manufacturing of critical care drugs

The issue of drug shortages is a critical one and deserves a sober, evidence-based policy discussion by governments and experts. Generic drug manufacturing should not be nationalized for three reasons.

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1 Comment
  • Philip Russel says:
    March 1, 2021 at 8:18 am

    Governments should govern. When they go beyond their intended purpose, they often fail and frequently fail to achieve the intended or expected result. Examples?
    – A government once tried to control the gas industry and created PetroCanada. Where is it now?
    – When we demand new or better roads, we are not demanding that government should become a construction company.
    A look at Canada’s relationship with the drug companies today demands that we do a better job of working with the industry, encouraging it, making it work for us. But do not fall into the trap of thinking that government can always do better. It can’t.

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