Canadian and United States officials have agreed to collaborate to ensure that medicinal drugs imported into the United States meet standards here. On the face of it, that's good, though Canada says it has yet to find evidence of its laws being abrogated by Internet drug purveyors in its country.

In fact, most transactions by Americans are for drugs made in the United States and shipped to Canada for sale, where they are sold at prices 30 percent to 80 percent lower than Americans pay at home. The AARP sellout notwithstanding, Americans will not fare as well in the proposed, GOP-forged prescription drug deal, and it offers no immediate relief.

The Bush administration, initially in a laissez-faire mode in regard to these sales, is now openly working against them. And the pharmaceutical industry, which has negotiated deals with the Canadian government and European nations on drug prices that leave Americans paying top dollar, has been downright retributive. It has threatened to cut off sales to Canadian pharmacies that sell to Americans. Another blow to free trade.

This comes at the same time as Americans, especially older people, are in revolt against drug firms gouging them. Governors of several states have joined them in seeking lower costs, the better to manage public budgets.

Now Canadian officials are running scared, with the nation's health department worried about "the potential for drug shortages domestically," and the risk that poses to Canadians' health. At the same time it assures that drugs sold in Canada are safe and effective. Provincial regulators now want the Canadian government to halt prescription drug sales to the United States at least temporarily.

And where is the succor of U.S. politicians to equal that of Canada's elected officials, or those of most nations of western Europe? It isn't there. The United States' leaders do not care for citizens in the manner that other countries that control prescription drug prices have tended to their citizens.

It's a situation requiring their attention and their votes when next year's elections roll around.