Canadian online pharmacies a better deal for meds

Iria · Sep 21, 2005, 12:58 AM

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Americans could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year on brand-name prescription drugs if they use a Canadian Internet pharmacy instead of their local drug store, researchers reported Monday.

On average, their study found, Americans could save 24 percent on their prescriptions if they shopped at an online Canadian pharmacy rather than a U.S. drug chain. Depending on the type of drug and how many prescriptions a person has, the savings could add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars a year.

The findings, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, add to the contentious issue of U.S. consumers' "importation" of medications from Canada, where the government sets price controls on prescriptions.

Faced with high drug prices at home, some Americans -- an estimated 2 million last year -- have been mail-ordering their prescriptions from Canadian online pharmacies. And some cities, counties and states have programs in place to help them do it.

It is generally assumed that brand-name drugs are cheaper in Canada. However, no study had actually compared prices at Canadian online outlets with those of large U.S. chain drug stores, according to authors of the new study, led by Dr. Mark J. Eisenberg of McGill University in Quebec.
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riles9262 · Sep 21, 2005, 02:07 AM

I remember being in vancouver last year, and it was amazing the number of americans coming across the border for the flu vaccine...I think I remember it causing a shortage of the drug for some time.

Iria · Sep 21, 2005, 02:48 AM

The part of this I always laugh about is how the FDA says it can't guarantee that "it cannot ensure the safety or quality of medications from foreign sources."

Based on the debacle with Vioxx, I'm not sure I trust the FDA, anyway! Also, we're talking about buying from CANADA here. Not some 3rd-world country.

Zelig · Sep 21, 2005, 03:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by riles9262

I remember being in vancouver last year, and it was amazing the number of americans coming across the border for the flu vaccine...I think I remember it causing a shortage of the drug for some time.

Hmm, doesn't seem like something I'd go through the effort of doing just for a flu vaccine... the only reason I get mine done is because I've got a close friend on immunosuppresants from a kidney transplant.

erple2 · Sep 21, 2005, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zelig

Hmm, doesn't seem like something I'd go through the effort of doing just for a flu vaccine...

True, but people are very panicky about the "dumbest" things - witness the supposed epidemic of Anthraxx contamination in the mail. How many people in the US went nuts trying to get some Cipro?

How many actual, credible, reported cases of Anthraxx contamination was there? 2?

What about SARS? That epidemic was supposed to wipe out the entire planet, wasn't it?

People panick about things that aren't worth panicking over. People die from the flu, but how many people that are healthy die from it? I don't know. I suspect that the numbers are very low...

Sep 21, 2005, 12:58 AM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 87	Canadian online pharmacies a better deal for meds NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Americans could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year on brand-name prescription drugs if they use a Canadian Internet pharmacy instead of their local drug store, researchers reported Monday. On average, their study found, Americans could save 24 percent on their prescriptions if they shopped at an online Canadian pharmacy rather than a U.S. drug chain. Depending on the type of drug and how many prescriptions a person has, the savings could add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars a year. The findings, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, add to the contentious issue of U.S. consumers' "importation" of medications from Canada, where the government sets price controls on prescriptions. Faced with high drug prices at home, some Americans -- an estimated 2 million last year -- have been mail-ordering their prescriptions from Canadian online pharmacies. And some cities, counties and states have programs in place to help them do it. It is generally assumed that brand-name drugs are cheaper in Canada. However, no study had actually compared prices at Canadian online outlets with those of large U.S. chain drug stores, according to authors of the new study, led by Dr. Mark J. Eisenberg of McGill University in Quebec. ___________ Read More / Source: SBC Yahoo! News

Sep 21, 2005, 02:07 AM	#2
riles9262 Driverheaven brewmaster Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: British Columbia, Canada Posts: 4,842 Rep Power: 70 System Specs	I remember being in vancouver last year, and it was amazing the number of americans coming across the border for the flu vaccine...I think I remember it causing a shortage of the drug for some time. __________________ A beer a day keeps the doctor away.

Sep 21, 2005, 02:48 AM	Thread Starter #3
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 87	The part of this I always laugh about is how the FDA says it can't guarantee that "it cannot ensure the safety or quality of medications from foreign sources." Based on the debacle with Vioxx, I'm not sure I trust the FDA, anyway! Also, we're talking about buying from CANADA here. Not some 3rd-world country.