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Over-the-border drugs
We're popping more pills than ever. Pharmacists are filling roughly one prescription every month for every American. In fact, last year we spent $208 billion on prescription drugs. That's more than double what we spent 5 years ago. And the rising cost of prescription drugs, along with reduced insurance coverage, is forcing many to go out of the country for their medications. Pick up a prescription from a U.S. pharmacy and it's pretty certain you're getting what your doctor ordered. But, if you don't have good insurance coverage, those trips to the drugstore become expensive.
"I've been in the pharmacy sometimes with people picking up two, three bottles," says San Jose resident Harold Nelson. "That's $600-$800 bucks, that's just outrageous."
Nelson needs to take a drug that regulates his pituitary gland. Eight pills, the equivalent of a 2 month supply, costs $275 at the local pharmacy. However, if he orders the same medication online from a Canadian pharmacy he pays only $127. How much has he saved so far?
"Probably $400-some bucks. That's a good savings," the online shopper adds.
But how can Nelson be sure he's receiving the right medication?
"It's the same color pill, I got to cut it in half, it's everything the same…" he surmises.
Dr. Candy Tsourounis, a UC San Francisco drug researcher, warns that ordering prescriptions from another country can be dangerous.
She says, "It's a pretty serious concern in that there's no guarantee that what you're getting is what you think you're getting." How can you tell?
One thing to check carefully is the packaging. Make certain the medication comes in a sealed container, with instructions. Look closely at the drug itself. Many now have the brand imprinted right on the pill.
Why even try this? Price. Ordering online may be a gamble, but you really can save money. Take a look at the price differences.
Canadameds.com offers "PremPlus," an Estrogen replacement, for $18.17. The cost at a major drugstore chain here in the U.S. is $80.00. The popular cholesterol drug "Lipitor" goes for only $133.00 online but locally is $225.00.
Canada caps drug prices, so American pharmacists just can't compete on that aspect. However, they say personal service and the guarantee of drug safety is well worth the cost, and is something you can get only by visiting your local pharmacist in person.
Dr. Jonathan Ow, the Pharmacy Manager at a local Albertson's, would agree. "If it's your own health that's concerned," he says, "I would think a couple hundred dollars might be worth it. Definitely so."
But, if you do in fact decide to order drugs online, use a site that requires a prescription from your doctor. NBC3 HealthWatch tested CanadaMeds.com.
An order for Lipitor was placed using a phony doctor's name and address. Sure enough, a few days later a representative from CanadaMeds called with questions about the order.
Even more importantly, though, is another test. Thanks to the medication, the doctor's report says that our friend Harold Nelson is fine. And thanks to filling his prescriptions online, his wallet's a little healthier too. |
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Jumping the Border For Cheaper Drug Refills
While Washington fiddles with prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries, and drug companies offer meager discounts, many physicians with consciences are helping patients get their prescriptions filled for real savings in Canada. But that has presented new problems for doctors and patients.
Maureen M., of Smithtown, whose 81- year-old mother takes three brand-name drugs to survive her pulmonary problems, explains that she had arranged with one of her mother's doctors to fax her prescriptions and medical history to the United Health Alliance, a Bennington, Vt., physicians' cooperative that buys the drugs through Canadian pharmacies at substantial savings.
The drugs, most of them made in the United States or at U.S.-owned plants, are FDA approved and virtually the same as those sold here. But they are considerably less expensive in Canada because its national health system controls prices. And based on the patient's medical history, the UHA and its Canadian pharmacies screen the prescriptions with special computer software for possible drug- to-drug interactions, as druggists do here.
Because the Canadian drugs are intended only for the patient, the UHA and Canadian pharmacies have been shipping the drugs to the prescribing physicians rather than to the patients to avoid the possibility of resale. But the sharp growth in Canadian drug purchasing has become a problem.
Maureen's mother received two deliveries, her daughter wrote, but then her doctor balked. "He said he was sorry," said Maureen, "but his office just couldn't accept them anymore...Too much confusion. They could get lost." She tried another doctor who declined, because he feared a "liability" problem, in helping to obtain and keep track of the drugs. But we've heard that some U.S. doctors charge a fee for the service.
A spokesman for the American Medical Association told me that he knows of no legal problem for physicians who write prescriptions that are filled in Canada. The AMA, he said, has no policy on the use by doctors of Canadian sources to fill prescriptions for patients.
Generally, if a U.S. physician is not licensed in Canada, the prescription is usually re-authorized by a Canadian physician.
The re-importation of U.S.-made drugs from abroad for resale is illegal, although pending legislation would provide an exception for Canada. While obtaining prescription drugs from abroad for "personal use" is frowned upon by the FDA, it is not considered illegal, and the agency has not moved to stop the purchases - by mail or in person - in Canada, where the drugs are as safe as they are in the United States.
The UHA, which includes 115 Vermont doctors, has been among the busiest sources of Canadian drugs for American patients, as well as an advocate for prescription drug coverage and health care reform. Dr. Elizabeth Wennar, UHA's president and CEO, said her program has been using doctors to receive the drugs for their patients "because we wanted them to be aware of the problem of prescription drug costs. Cost is everything, and it makes no sense to have a prescription drug benefit in Medicare unless costs are controlled. We hoped that when doctors write prescriptions, they'll ask themselves if their patients can afford the drugs. And doctors should care enough to help their patients get more affordable drugs in Canada."
But she acknowledged that Maureen M. is not alone in having problems finding help from doctors. "Some doctors feel pressure from the drug houses, which provide drug samples. And the busy offices of many physicians have been flooded with packages from Canada they have difficulty handling safely and efficiently."
As a result, the UHA changed its procedure a couple of weeks ago to permit the shipment of prescription drugs to the patients, after their medical history and the doctor's prescriptions are sent via fax or mail. Under the new arrangements, Wennar said, the UHA is using three Canadian pharmacies to provide price competition, and all prescriptions will be screened by consulting Canadian physicians to spot potential drug- to-drug interactions. Several other Canadian pharmacies and prescription services also have begun shipping medicines directly to patients with similar safeguards.
These new shipping and handling (around $10 per delivery) arrangements may raise the prices of the drugs slightly, said Wennar, but they'll remain far below those in the United States. One random example: The UHA pharmacy price for 100 tablets of Celebrex, 100 milligrams, is $54.23. The price at my Safeway pharmacy is $154.49. The 65 percent savings is about average for Canadian drugs.
If you're considering the Canadian alternative and you have access to a computer, visit www.unitedhealthalliance.com and find the "Medicine Assist" section, which provides price comparisons and available dosages on hundreds of prescription drugs. Or call UHA toll free at 866-633-7482. Readers have also used canadameds.com, 877-542-3330.
Using a computer or the telephone, you'll have to print or ask for a medical information form, which your doctor must fill out and return with the prescriptions. And I'd be suspicious of any Canadian prescription drug service that does not ask for a medical history.
A final thought: While Congress and the drug companies have focused on Medicare beneficiaries, let's not overlook the uninsured and the millions of younger working Americans with families, with insurance through employers, who are paying soaring fees for shrinking benefits and skimpy drug coverage. And the younger self-employed pay a small fortune in insurance coverage for inadequate drug benefits. The Canadian drug store is open to medically besieged Americans of all ages. |
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Canada offers prescription medications at a lower cost
The high cost of prescription medication here in the US has forced many to cross the border for lower cost drugs.
While many think of Mexico, Canada also offers medications at a lower cost.
There's a real savings for people who go with this option.
The drugs come on-line from major Canadian Discount Pharmacies.
They can be generic or brand name, and are much cheaper there than here in the US.
Reno resident Jim McGrew takes an acid reflux name brand medication on a daily basis. That can get expensive.
But with a friend’s advice, Jim has been able to save big bucks by getting his medication through a Canadian Pharmacy on line.
Jim McGrew : “This way I’m buying a hundred caps for $175.20 which comes out to $1.75 a cap so that saves me $2.18 or $780.00 a year.”
Before getting his Canadian prescription, Jim had to get a prescription from his doctor and then fill out a couple of forms, which included a health history. That form is sent off to a Canadian Pharmacy who then has a physician from that country check the form for accuracy and any potential health complications. If it all checks out, the prescription is filled (sometimes in three months’ supply) and mailed back to the patient.
The medications are cheaper in Canada because of that country's socialized medical system. There's a price control on drugs, and many Americans are taking advantage of such controls.
Nevada's Pharmacy Board President Larry Pinson is a working pharmacist himself. He says he knows the cost of prescriptions here in Nevada and the rest of the country is high, and doesn't blame a patient for looking for the best price. But he says getting your medication from another country means you, the patient, have to be more aware of your condition, your prescription, and any side effects or interactions that may occur.
Larry Pinson/Pharmacist: “There is always the issue of different physicians and medications coming in from all over the place. Someone needs to pull that all together. Hopefully that's where the pharmacist comes in. And if you are getting it out of state or out of the country that just isn't going to happen.”
Those with acute problems that need an immediate course of medication for ten days to two weeks, are probably not good candidates for the program. Narcotics are not offered through on line Canadian Pharmacies to Americans.
If you are interested in looking into the costs savings provided by the Canadian online pharmacies please clicks “Links” to your left and select “Health Links.” There you can select the websites for Cross Border Pharmacy, Canada Meds, and Canadian Meds USA. |
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Cheaper Prescription Drugs Available over the Internet
For years, Americans have crossed the borders into Mexico and Canada to get cheaper prescription drugs.
Now these drugs are available over the Internet, making it possible for those who can't travel to get their medications at a lower cost. That's exactly what one Salt Lake City man is doing and he's saving hundreds of dollars each month. Shauna Lake reports.
For the Hall's its all in the family. Paul Hall and his two sons service and repair pumps and air compressors. Because its a family-owned, small business Paul buys his own health insurance.
It isn't cheap. That's why he began looking for ways to save. He heard about buying prescriptions on the Internet and decided to give it a try.
“I looked on the Internet and heard there were good buys on the Internet. I talked to them and discovered their prices were half of what I could buy here in U.S.,” said Paul Hall.
Paul's prescription for the stomach medication Prevacid was costing him nearly $500 per month at pharmacies here in the U.S.
Now with the click of a mouse using the Canadian Internet pharmacy, Paul's price dropped to 232 dollars per month.
Canadian pharmacists say thanks to the Internet, Paul and others like him now have access to less expensive medications.
“We believe the lady in Iowa shouldn't be denied access to cheaper medications just because she doesn't live on the border,” said Daren Jorgenson of Canadameds.com.
So why are these Canadian Internet pharmacies so much cheaper? For starters Canada has price controls on prescription medications. That, combined with a strong U.S. dollar means you can get more for your money.
U.S. pharmaceutical companies say if every country had price controls, they would no longer have the money for research and development and that means the development of newer, more effective medications would come to a halt. They also argue getting medications in person, right here in the U.S. is safer.
But the Canadian companies say they're selling the same drugs made right here in the U.S. and their pharmacists have an effective system of checks and balances if their are any questions or concerns.
“There's many instances where they contact the prescribing physician in the U.S. directly or contact the patient,” Jorgenson said.
As for Paul Hall, he's a satisfied customer and says buying his medication on the Internet is not only cheaper, it’s easier.
“You don't have to make the trip, spend the time, wait in line. It just shows up in your mail,” Hall said.
If you decide to use a Canadian Internet pharmacy, you'll need your doctor or U.S. pharmacist to fax a copy of your prescription.
Keep in mind these Canadian pharmacies emphasize disease maintenance. They don't fill prescriptions for short-term antibiotics or certain narcotics.
For more information, here are three Internet Canadian pharmacies that you can shop and compare.
1. www.crossborderpharmacy.com
2. canadameds.com is based in Winnipeg, call toll free at 1-877-542-3330
3. www.canadianmedsusa.com is based in Littleton Colorado and tied to Canadian Pharmacies. Call at 1-303-978-0505.
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Cheaper Prescriptions Available North of Border
Although buying prescriptions from another country is somewhat controversial, it is legal and the drugs are much more affordable.
Log onto canadameds.com or crossborderpharmacy.com and there's a good chance you'll never walk into a U.S. pharmacy again -- at least not to buy prescription drugs. These Canadian Websites offer prescription drugs at a discount of anywhere between 30 percent to 85 percent.
"I figure I save about $100 a month," said Shirley, who lives in Summerlin's Sun City. She's been saving money for some time now by just logging onto the Internet pharmacies.
"Those of us who are elderly seniors and retired we need to save our dollars, and if there's a service out there, I think we should go for it," she said.
There is more to it, of course, than just having a computer. Customers must fill out a detailed questionnaire, which is reviewed by a Canadian physician.
"I think the American consumer should feel comfortable with the quality if the pharmacy industry in Canada. We're not dealing with a third world or second world country," said Daren Jorgensen of canadameds.com.
Instead, consumers are dealing with a country that controls its drug prices unlike the United States. That allows the Canadian pharmacies to sell brand-name drugs at far less than the U.S. price.
For example, look at the price of Lipitor, the popular cholesterol drug. Thirty tablets from canadameds.com will cost you $50.06 and $52.16 at crossborderpharmacy.com, but at U.S. site drugstore.com it's $84.43, and at walgreens.com it's $93.99. Other drugs like Celebrex and Tamoxifen also cost considerably less.
"I believe, though, it's because the FDA in the United States has a better check and balance. It takes longer to go to market in the United States, and it just makes it more costly for the manufacturers to do their research and development," said Scot Silber of Green Valley Drugs.
Drugs sold north of the border are regulated by Health Canada, the U.S. equivalent of the FDA Many of them are also manufactured in the United States. But buying them after they've gone to Canada allows consumers like Shirley to save big money -- as long as you don't mind the labels on the bottles to be printed in French.
You can order up to a three-month supply, and each shipment takes about two to three weeks. Each order comes with a shipping fee of $10 to $20.
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