Cheaper Drugs
Americans pay the highest prescription prices in the world and those prices are going up, at twice the rate of inflation.
And with 30 percent of Americans who need prescription drugs to stay well uninsured for their medicine, the need is more acute to find ways to cut those prices so they can afford to buy the drugs they need to stay well. Lee Hunt is among a growing number of consumers who has learned to use a mouse to go across the border to fetch her pills. She uses the internet to order drugs from discount online pharmacies in Canada.
"I probably save over $500 a year," Lee said. That savings is on just one medication, Celebrex, which she uses for her osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The savings brings her Celebrex costs down to one-third of what she used to pay.
She's learned to take advantage of the internet and Canada's price controls.
"I sat there with my calculator and I thought, 'Oh my gosh! That's really something, to come up with that kind of savings," Hunt said.
The astounding savings, anywhere from 30 to 80 percent, is possible because of Canada's price controls on drugs and also the strength of the U.S. dollar against Canadian currency.
Through CrossBorderPharmacy.com, the online pharmacy Hunt uses, a prescription of the allergy medication Claritin costs $84 compared to the $343 that a San Francisco Walgreens charges for the exact same prescription, about a 75% savings.
For 100 tablets of the popular anti-depressant Paxil, that same Walgreen charges $350, while CrossBorderPharmacy.com charges $147, a 40% savings. A $10 shipping charge is additional.
The breast cancer drug Tamoxifen is available at an 85% savings.
Some Aids drugs at about 22% less.
If you don't have internet access, the Canadian websites have toll-free numbers you can call.
(Cross Border Pharmacy: 1-888-626-0696) (Canadameds: 1-877-542-3330)
Most of the drugs sold in Canada are U.S. made, so you're getting the same drugs you would in America, but much cheaper.
"The types of drugs usually purchased are those which are used for chronic conditions, heart conditions, cholesterol conditions, diabetes," said pharmacist Manny Morry who works for Canadameds.
Officially, the U.S. government does not endorse the import of drugs from other countries because it can't vouch for the purity or safety of a drug once it leaves the U.S., if only to be re-imported. It does, however allow, American individuals to order drugs for personal use with a maximum supply of 90 days.
The U.S. government's concerns about drug purity does not affect Hunt, who's about to order another medication from CrossBorderPharmacy.com.
"I don't know who has handled my medication when I go and get it from the pharmacy here, so just because it comes from an address elsewhere, that's not a problem for me," Hunt said.
Ordering prescriptions from Canada can take longer, so allow a month for your first order. Controlled substances, such as painkillers, are also not allowed.
And, some of the pills may sometimes look different than what you're used to because they were manufactured at a different plant, even though the medication is the same.
Destination Rx is an internet price comparison guide to online pharmacies that used to include overseas pharmacies until the FDA ordered it to stop last year.
Destination Rx CEO Michael Cho says comparison shopping is a consumer's best weapon against high prescription costs. But comparison shopping is exhausting because drug prices changing constantly and while one source may be cheapest for one drug, it may not be for another.
With Destination Rx, you can display all your drug needs on one page, sort of an online medicine cabinet, and get an up-to-the-minute report on which online pharmacy in the U.S. is cheapest for each drug.
"It's like watching your stock portfolio. You can find out how much your drug prices have increased or decreased over time. Prices change everyday," Cho said.
We found savings of about 20 to 30 percent compared to a typical drugstore chain price. Keep in mind that chains like Walgreens and Eckerd charge cheaper prices at their online pharmacies than at their stores.
Once you're done checking out prices, you can place your order on the spot and Destination Rx will route your order to the selected online pharmacy. It just takes a click to transfer your prescription from your current pharmacy to the selected online pharmacy.
Seventy-five percent of its customers are women in their 50's. The rest are either caregivers for their parents or self-employed.
"We're taking drugs at a younger age that are drugs we take for a longer period of time. So for example, cholesterol-lowering drugs, people in their 40's are beginning to take that now. If you really think about it, once you start, you can't stop," said Cho.
Destination Rx has a strict privacy policy and only works with pharmacies that are VIPPS certified. VIPPS stands for verified internet pharmacy practice sites and was created by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
Online pharmacies are not recommended for acute illnesses, where you need an antibiotic right away, since shipment can take a week.
For those reluctant to get their drugs by mail, Costco has some of the lowest prescription prices, many of them comparable to the best prices offered by U.S. online pharmacies.
If you're a senior and don't shop at Costco, you can still save 10 to 30 percent simply by presenting your Medicare card to a participating pharmacy. By law, it entitles you to the same discount price the state of California pays for Medi-Cal recipients.
Sarah Kelechava of San Francisco saves nearly $90 per batch of medications this way. On one purchase of Prilosec, which treats ulcers, she paid $135, saving $15.
"When you are on a fixed income and there is any savings in prescription drugs, it's really very helpful," Kelechava said.
Another way to trim costs is to call around to compare prices. Don't assume independent pharmacies are more expensive than the chains.
Kelechava's pharmacy, Central Drug Store, in the Excelsior, charges $44 less for her batch of medications that the Walgreens just two blocks away.
In fact, a recent random survey of California pharmacies found that drugstore chains were often the most expensive.
"I wouldn't have thought that there would be much of a price variation so I wouldn't check and I hadn't checked until we got into this survey, and I looked at the results and said, 'Oh my gosh!'" said Liz Helms of the International Patient Advocacy Association.
"If it's the same drug in the same container that you would get right off the shelves if you went to a regular pharmacist, and if they can charge whatever they want to, then by that rationale, I can pay whatever I want to also by going elsewhere," said Hunt.
One final tip: you might want to invest in a pill cutter, but check with your doctor first. Some drugs cost the same regardless of dosage. So if you buy a higher dosage, you can cut the pill in half and save 50% on your prescription costs. But again, be sure to check with your doctor first. Some pills are not uniform so that cutting them in half does not ensure a half-dosage.
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