Canadians must be assured access to an adequate supply of safe and affordable prescription drugs, Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh said Wednesday.

Gee, if only Americans could be assured of the same.

Recent news stories have highlighted gross inadequacies in U.S. drug approval and regulation. As things now stand, the drug industry is basically in charge of monitoring adverse drug reactions occurring after approval. As you might imagine, foxes make poor henhouse sentries.

But the biggest discrepancy between the U.S. and Canada is in the affordability portion of the health minister’s statement. Our government has shown itself completely incapable of leveling the drug-price playing field.

Drug prices in Canada are roughly 60 percent of those in the U.S., while European prices are even lower.

Drug prices are the biggest factor in exploding U.S. medical costs, which are leaving more and more Americans without health or drug insurance.

Last year, Congress passed an expensive Medicare drug benefit without giving a bit of thought to how it will be funded. Worse, it specifically prohibited Medicare from bargaining with drug companies for better prices.

This is the equivalent of a bank posting a welcome sign for robbers.

Canada cannot serve as the pharmacy for the U.S. But there is also no reason why Americans should be paying higher prices on drugs researched, developed and produced in America.