OTTAWA—Canada's federal health minister last week proposed changing the law to allow the government to ban bulk exports of prescription drugs to the United States when necessary to protect the Canadian drug supply.

Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh said he intends to introduce legislation under the Food and Drugs Act that will allow the government to prohibit the bulk export of prescription and other drugs when necessary.

"In light of potential American legislation legalizing the bulk import of Canadian prescription and other medications, our priority must be the health and safety of all Canadians and the strength of our health care system," the minister said in a statement. "We must be proactive in making sure that the supply of affordable prescription medications remains stable and sufficient to meet the needs of Canadians."

Mr. Dosanjh also wants to strengthen existing federal regulations governing the sale of prescription drugs in Canada to require an established patient-practitioner relationship. Cross-border drug sales often involve prescribing practices in which there is no clear patient-practitioner relationship, with Canadian doctors signing prescriptions for U.S. patients whom they have not examined.

The minister is also working with the provinces and territories and various stakeholders to establish a network that would provide Health Canada with comprehensive data on Canada's prescription drug supply.

According to estimates from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Task Force on Drug Importation, some 12 million prescription drug products at a cost of nearly $700 million entered the United States through Canada in 2003 alone.

Under current law, it is illegal for anyone other than the original manufacturer to reimport prescription drugs into the United States. Several states and cities, though, have developed arrangements to facilitate the importation-from both Canada and elsewhere-of prescription medicines for employees and residents.