Has anyone bought prescription meds from a Canadian pharmacy?

[simonsmom]

THE PROBLEM IS THAT IN Canada the law tells pharmacists to dispense meds that have gone thru certain channels as far as being approved (like the fda does here). however that only applies to meds being dispensed to Canadian citizens. when they mail them to citizens in another country they can obtain the meds from any source they want.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

THE PROBLEM IS THAT IN Canada the law tells pharmacists to dispense meds that have gone thru certain channels as far as being approved (like the fda does here). however that only applies to meds being dispensed to Canadian citizens. when they mail them to citizens in another country they can obtain the meds from any source they want.

This is true. However, if the med. is the same either way, it doesn't really matter to me where it comes from. I'm doing my homework before I order, too. I actually told the ped.'s office that I was doing this and they were fine with it...I'm surprised. They are perfectly willing to fax the prescription to this pharmacy.

 

[Melinda Kennedy]

I have been in business since 2003 helping people save money by buying from Canadian and global bricks and mortar pharmacies.

It is legal for an individual living in the states to buy 3 months worth of non-narcotic or other controlled substance prescription drugs with a valid US Dr's prescription.

Sometimes it is less expensive to buy from global pharmacies than Canadian due to the exchange rate or the drug manufacturer they use.

Just make sure you know the pharmacy you are dealing with is a bricks and mortar, licensed and inspected, pharmacy and that they only get their meds from licensed and inspected FDA or country equivalent manufacturers.

 

[Swimalie]

This is true. However, if the med. is the same either way, it doesn't really matter to me where it comes from. I'm doing my homework before I order, too. I actually told the ped.'s office that I was doing this and they were fine with it...I'm surprised. They are perfectly willing to fax the prescription to this pharmacy.

My husband used to work for the DEA and his job involved investigating legal pharmaceuticals. Canadian drugs are under a different control than US Drugs. What you are getting from Canada might not be the same strength as you get in the US. They don't control their pharmaceuticals the same as we do in the US. He said, based on what he learned that he will never allow his family to order from Canada. It's just not worth the risk.

 

[Cindy B]

We used to do it. Of course we would have to pay cash instead of using health insurance, but it was worth it for us.

 

[roscoepc1]

My husband used to work for the DEA and his job involved investigating legal pharmaceuticals. Canadian drugs are under a different control than US Drugs. What you are getting from Canada might not be the same strength as you get in the US. They don't control their pharmaceuticals the same as we do in the US. He said, based on what he learned that he will never allow his family to order from Canada. It's just not worth the risk.

That's bull....our prescription drug laws are STRICTER than U.S. standards. He may have said that about on-line pharmacies, but not about pharmacies in Canada in general.

The ONLY way what he said is true is if it's an online company that is not actually IN Canada....which one poster already covered. If it's a B&M pharmacy in Canada, the meds are actually safer than U.S. ones. Same applies for our food standards too....

 

[honugirl]

I just got switched over to Flovent by my pulmonologist and the reason it is so expensive here in the US is because a couple of years ago it was mandated that they switch over to environmentally friendly propellants. Since they did that, there is no generic. You have to buy name brand. They didn't change the actual drug formula at all. It's so frustrating! So expect high prices for a number of years until the patent runs out and they can start making a generic. It really ticks me off. Any asthma inhaler you buy now will have the same issue.

 

[ajh88]

I'll climb onto my soapbox and make a couple of comments.

First, nothing I say here applies to ANY brick and mortar pharmacies in Canada - as a PP mentioned, they are regulated at least as well (if not moreso) than US pharmacies. If you are sending your Rx to a physical drugstore that just happens to be in Canada, this information does not apply. If I were on vacation there, I would not hesitate to get a prescription filled at a pharmacy. That being said...

Many online "Canadian" pharmacies are not Canadian at all - storefronts with an address in Canada that are actually located elsewhere (and it could literally be ANY where).

One of the many problems here is that it IS illegal...I believe the regulation was summarized quite well earlier in the thread. There is a lack of enforcement, but that doesn't make it any MORE legal. Even a "3 month supply" is not legal - but as stated, officials look the other way.

Another problem is that when you don't really know the first thing about the pharmacy, you also don't know the first thing about where their drugs are coming from. Say what you will about the FDA (and I am not always on board with them either), but there are regulations in place for a reason. If you have ever seen the amount of documentation that is required for the manufacture of prescription medications, you would see the many safeguards in place to help guarantee uniformity, potency, and purity. (Yes, I know the safeguards fail sometimes, but that is a different thread...). Even medications that are manufactured overseas for distribution by a drug company here in the U.S. are governed by FDA regulations.

If you order your medication from a less than reputable pharmacy, you have no idea what, if any, safeguards were in place when they were made. Are they rejected lots? Are they expired? Are they perfectly fine but didn't meet some menial criteria? Or are they really perfectly fine?

You will hear a lot of anecdotal evidence that says "they are fine, I've been using them for years" and so on. In many, or even most, cases, this may be true. I would just be remiss if I didn't point out the danger, however small the chance may be, of possibly getting something that is not quite the same.

I would urge you to look for an online pharmacy with VIPPS approval (here). In fact, if you look closely at the NorthWest Pharmacy site, there is a disclaimer that says "Not all prescriptions dispensed by PharmaWest" (the location in BC) - so where ARE they coming from? I have searched and I can't find anywhere that generic Flovent (inhalation) is approved. I could be wrong and missed it, but I've looked.

Finally, the comment someone made about Wal-Mart's $4 drugs...they get their medications from the same warehouses that everyone else does. I've been on rotations in 6 different pharmacies in the area and the same delivery guy comes to all of them - from the hospital, to the small independent store, to Wal-Mart. In medication (as with everything else), purchasing contracts and buying power dictate the cost as much as where they come from. Yes, some of the drugs come from overseas (again, manufactured by US based companies under FDA regulations) - but many of them are from the US. And FWIW, $4 drugs are loss-leaders in many cases...not making $$$ for the pharmacy on those.

There are patient assistance programs as well...you may or may not qualify, but here is a link to one for GSK (Flovent manufacturer): http://www.rxassist.org/pap-info/company_detail.cfm?CmpId=125

Sorry this was so long. You may do it and find you have no problems at all and I understand that it is a lot of money that you are saving. I just think it is interesting on a board where buying "scrapper" pins off ebay for $1 each is frowned upon, buying what could be the equivalent of "scrapper" drugs online is encouraged. And again, no offense intended to my dear Canadian friends - I think Canadian drugs are fine!

 

[smokeyblue]

My co-worker was forking out $1400/mo to pay for her adult son's pysch meds. She ended up getting them sent from Canada for less than $200/mo. She is very pleased and the meds are working just as well as the ones they bought at the local pharmacy.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

I'll climb onto my soapbox and make a couple of comments.

First, nothing I say here applies to ANY brick and mortar pharmacies in Canada - as a PP mentioned, they are regulated at least as well (if not moreso) than US pharmacies. If you are sending your Rx to a physical drugstore that just happens to be in Canada, this information does not apply. If I were on vacation there, I would not hesitate to get a prescription filled at a pharmacy. That being said...

Many online "Canadian" pharmacies are not Canadian at all - storefronts with an address in Canada that are actually located elsewhere (and it could literally be ANY where).

One of the many problems here is that it IS illegal...I believe the regulation was summarized quite well earlier in the thread. There is a lack of enforcement, but that doesn't make it any MORE legal. Even a "3 month supply" is not legal - but as stated, officials look the other way.

Another problem is that when you don't really know the first thing about the pharmacy, you also don't know the first thing about where their drugs are coming from. Say what you will about the FDA (and I am not always on board with them either), but there are regulations in place for a reason. If you have ever seen the amount of documentation that is required for the manufacture of prescription medications, you would see the many safeguards in place to help guarantee uniformity, potency, and purity. (Yes, I know the safeguards fail sometimes, but that is a different thread...). Even medications that are manufactured overseas for distribution by a drug company here in the U.S. are governed by FDA regulations.

If you order your medication from a less than reputable pharmacy, you have no idea what, if any, safeguards were in place when they were made. Are they rejected lots? Are they expired? Are they perfectly fine but didn't meet some menial criteria? Or are they really perfectly fine?

You will hear a lot of anecdotal evidence that says "they are fine, I've been using them for years" and so on. In many, or even most, cases, this may be true. I would just be remiss if I didn't point out the danger, however small the chance may be, of possibly getting something that is not quite the same.

I would urge you to look for an online pharmacy with VIPPS approval (here). In fact, if you look closely at the NorthWest Pharmacy site, there is a disclaimer that says "Not all prescriptions dispensed by PharmaWest" (the location in BC) - so where ARE they coming from? I have searched and I can't find anywhere that generic Flovent (inhalation) is approved. I could be wrong and missed it, but I've looked.

Finally, the comment someone made about Wal-Mart's $4 drugs...they get their medications from the same warehouses that everyone else does. I've been on rotations in 6 different pharmacies in the area and the same delivery guy comes to all of them - from the hospital, to the small independent store, to Wal-Mart. In medication (as with everything else), purchasing contracts and buying power dictate the cost as much as where they come from. Yes, some of the drugs come from overseas (again, manufactured by US based companies under FDA regulations) - but many of them are from the US. And FWIW, $4 drugs are loss-leaders in many cases...not making $$$ for the pharmacy on those.

There are patient assistance programs as well...you may or may not qualify, but here is a link to one for GSK (Flovent manufacturer): http://www.rxassist.org/pap-info/company_detail.cfm?CmpId=125

Sorry this was so long. You may do it and find you have no problems at all and I understand that it is a lot of money that you are saving. I just think it is interesting on a board where buying "scrapper" pins off ebay for $1 each is frowned upon, buying what could be the equivalent of "scrapper" drugs online is encouraged. And again, no offense intended to my dear Canadian friends - I think Canadian drugs are fine!

Your post is very fair IMHO. We don't qualify for any patient assistance. I called, and they referred me to 2 other places and so forth...we qualfied for nothing.

Also, I saw the disclaimer about "not all drugs being dispensed by Pharmawest" on the Northwest Pharmacy site, so I called them. We asked for specific information on each drug that we are interested in purchasing from them, where they are manufactured, the name of the manufacturer, etc. The Flovent comes right from GSK in Europe BTW. I won't order generic Flovent because 1) we don't have that generic drug in the US yet so that scares me a little and 2) brand-name Flovent is inexpensive enough via a Canadian pharmacy.

One thing that I do not understand is why some meds are just as $$ if not more $$ through the Canadian pharmacies If they were able to get expired or rejected lots, you'd think that the meds would be sold more cheaply Honestly, DD's Xopenex and DH's allergy meds are MORE $$ through the Canadian pharmacies that I've checked out. Only the Flovent turned out to be a better deal.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

My co-worker was forking out $1400/mo to pay for her adult son's pysch meds. She ended up getting them sent from Canada for less than $200/mo. She is very pleased and the meds are working just as well as the ones they bought at the local pharmacy.

Would it be possible for you to ask her which online Canadian pharmacy she uses? I am still doing research and would be open to other ones than the one I've posted.

 

[Swimalie]

That's bull....our prescription drug laws are STRICTER than U.S. standards. He may have said that about on-line pharmacies, but not about pharmacies in Canada in general.

The ONLY way what he said is true is if it's an online company that is not actually IN Canada....which one poster already covered. If it's a B&M pharmacy in Canada, the meds are actually safer than U.S. ones. Same applies for our food standards too....

I didn't say they weren't stricter. I said they were "different". So you might not be getting the same strength as you would in the US. I never said anything about the strictness. Changing words?!

And not to mention ILLEGAL in the US and yes, some people in the US do look for it on occasion.

 

[crashbb]

I didn't say they weren't stricter. I said they were "different". So you might not be getting the same strength as you would in the US. I never said anything about the strictness. Changing words?!

And not to mention ILLEGAL in the US and yes, some people in the US do look for it on occasion.

It was most certainly implied.

You comment doesn't actually make sense unless you are suggesting that Canadian pharmacies are not as well regulated as US ones. Prescriptions don't just say (for example) "Percocet". They'll say "325mg Percocet". Unless you are suggesting that Canadian pharmacies are not well regulated, both a US pharmacy and a Canadian one will be giving you 325mg Percocet.

Now, if you are talking about drugs found on the self (or, perhaps, OTC) and people don't bother to read the package, then you might have a point (but those are not purchased on-line by Americans).

NB - this doesn't apply to the "fake" on-line pharmacies which are, as discussed, not regulated.

I think this must be the ONLY example of something that is cheaper in Canada than it is in the US.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

I think this must be the ONLY example of something that is cheaper in Canada than it is in the US.

LOL! True Honestly, though, not all drugs are cheaper from Canada. Some definitely are, but others aren't. You still need to compare prices if you are going this route, as sometimes there is no savings at all.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

I didn't say they weren't stricter. I said they were "different". So you might not be getting the same strength as you would in the US. I never said anything about the strictness. Changing words?!

And not to mention ILLEGAL in the US and yes, some people in the US do look for it on occasion.

Well, if I end up in the slammer for trying to get my toddler's asthma meds. affordably, so be it. It's a risk that I'm willing to take...apparently it's a risk that about a zillion Americans are willing to take these days, too. There are plenty of prescription meds that just aren't affordable in the US. Buying them from Canada is the alternative to simply going without.

 

[honugirl]

Patient assistance is a joke. I tried to look into it because I'm a college student. I have insurance, but I still pay several hundred dollars a month in prescriptions thanks to my rare disease and I qualify for nothing.

 

[smokymtns]

I have gotten medication from Canada for 5 or more years now. Always from the same place. I have never had them taken at customs. I take a reflux med that is WAY cheaper through Canada than to get them here with our own insurance since our insurance will not cover the kind I take. There is nothing illegal about buying prescription medication from a different country as long as you have a prescription. We live in a free country where we are allowed to do such things. As long as the US continues to charge high prices for the drugs that normal people cannot afford I will be getting my prescriptions filled in Canada.

 

[JB2K]

I've been considering Canadian, too, for both his flovent and my advair but I've been worried about it. But thanks to all the posters, I feel a little more confident about ordering. Can their drugs be any worse than Walmart's 4.00 specials from overseas?

Sounds a bit "elitist" to me.

Even though the subject has been already been addressed by someone who has knowledge of the business, I would like for you to explain to the rest of us the difference between Walmart's $4.00 generic drugs and those same generics which come from the local food/drug chain...

 

[ajh88]

There is nothing illegal about buying prescription medication from a different country as long as you have a prescription.

Please refer to my previous post...I'm glad to hear the medications are working for you and I wish that there were more things I could do to make all drugs affordable for all. However, the FDA is very clear in their regulation...importing prescription medications from Canada is, in fact, illegal. It is simply a law that is not enforced (for the moment).

To the OP, I don't know how to account for the cost differences. It is an area that I'd like to investigate more but I haven't had the time yet. As I was perusing the NABP (National Association of the Boards of Pharmacy)website (the one I linked in my previous post), I came across another page that better explained some of the concerns about international mail order pharmacies. Should you so desire, the link is here.

 

[Calliaz]

FYI, both Nevada and Wisconsin used to have a list of approved Canadian pharmacies. They actually visited the locations and reviewed their standards. I can only find Nevada's:

http://govcha.state.nv.us/new_CP_LCPList.htm