John Goodman, an excellent economist and president of the National Center for Policy Analysis, has a useful commentary on Canadian drug prices. As he points out, Canadians pay less for patented drugs because of price controls, a monopoly purchaser, and the implicit threat of compulsory licensing. But Canadians pay much more than do Americans for generic drugs.
Goodman is also the author of a sharp study published by the Cato Institute: “Health Care in a Free Society: Rebutting the Myths of National Health Insurance”. A much condensed version, based on a presentation at a September 29 Cato Policy Forum, is available as a Cato’s Letter: “Five Myths of Socialized Medicine.”