Why do Canadians are buying medical equipment on the black market?

A majority of Canadians say they don’t buy medical equipment from the black-market because of the high prices they pay, according to a new survey from the Bank of Canada.

The Bank of Montreal’s online survey of 1,000 Canadians also found that, for the second year in a row, a third of respondents said they wouldn’t buy a medical device from the Black Market because it is too expensive.

The survey also found a majority of respondents who have bought a medical product or service from the Canadian Black Market (CBM) said it would be a hassle to return the product, and that they would not use the product for the same reason.

For the second straight year, almost two-thirds of respondents, 62 per cent, said they would prefer to keep the medical device or service.

The Canadian Black Trade Association (CBTA), the trade body for medical equipment, medical equipment manufacturers and medical equipment distributors, has said the Black Markets have become a major source of supply for counterfeit products and that it has a duty to investigate suspicious transactions.