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Drugs and Prescriptions

Alex Ice

2004-03-01 14:01:00

Alex Ice Question: Are prescription drugs imported from Canada legal?

ANSWER:  FDA enforcement guidelines allow agents to exercise discretion for drugs imported for personal use. According to those guidelines, "FDA personnel may consider a more permissive policy" in cases where an individual seeks to import no more than a three-month supply of a product that does not appear to pose an unreasonable risk, if the individual affirms in writing that it is for personal use and provides the name and address of the U.S. doctor supervising their treatment. Prescription drug prices are lower in Canada because, unlike the U.S., the government negotiates prices with drug companies. Americans regularly pay up to twice as much as Europeans and Canadians for the same drug. One reason for this is: drug companies selling into Canada are not allowed to advertise their products. In the U.S. last year, leading drug companies spent nearly twice as much on advertising alone than on research and development, and nearly three times more on advertising, administration and executive compensation (according to a study released by Families USA). As such, the pharmaceutical industry is the most profitable industry in the United States with return on equity of 39.4%.The prescription drugs that are being imported from Canada are the same medications dispensed in the U.S., often manufactured in the same plants, prescribed by American doctors, and filled by licensed Canadian pharmacists. The Canadian government has very strict requirements for dispensing drugs, and is very similar to the requirements in the U.S. The benefit to the U.S. consumer is: The same prescription drugs… from the same manufacturers… at a savings of 49% on brand name and 60-70% on generic drugs.Drugs that treat chronic conditions such as heart disease, respiratory illness, diabetes and gastrointestinal disorders are identified as the leading categories of therapies for drugs used by seniors. Among these top 10 therapies, the annual cost of a prescription is more than $400 in 6 out of 10 categories and over $500 in 5 of the top10 categories. Seniors (who represent 13 % of the U.S. population) consume 34 % of all prescriptions and pay 42 % of the bill. One third of the senior population has no insurance coverage for prescription drugs. Chronically ill, older Americans are repeatedly hit with price increases for the medicines that keep them healthy, costs they simply cannot pay. There are many stories of older Americans who attempt to extend their prescriptions for as long as possible by taking reduced doses, or who share drugs with their spouse, or who simply do without, choosing food and heat over drugs.To summarize, prescription drugs imported from Canada are legal and safe. Working with a company that orders these prescription drugs from Canada allows the patient peace of mind and convenience, as there is no need to release credit card information over the Internet. Checks, cash or credit cards are accepted at the time the order is placed. Within 7-10 days, the order is received right at your doorstep by mail, eliminating an unnecessary trip to the pharmacy for pick-up, which is extremely helpful to those who may be homebound or have transportation restrictions. Often (depending on the prescription), the prescription drugs arrive in the same tamper-proof packaging directly from the manufacturer.

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Drugs and Prescriptions

Alex Ice

2004-02-01 16:13:00

:  Tell me about prescription drugs from Canada?

ANSWER:  The prescription drugs that are being imported from Canada are the same medications dispensed in the U. S., often manufactured in the same plants, prescribed by American doctors, and filled by licensed Canadian pharmacists. The Canadian government has very strict requirements for dispensing drugs, and is very similar to the requirements in the US. In the U.S., spending on prescription drugs rose, on average, about 13% a year between 1993 and 2001. For the next decade, it is expected to rise about 12% a year. Prices of brand name prescription drugs have been rising at nearly four times the rate of general inflation. As a result, thousands upon thousands of American citizens have avoided the "medicine or food" dilemma with prescriptions filled by Canadian pharmacies. A recent Harris Interactive study found that high priced out-of-pocket drug costs cause massive noncompliance in medication use. Millions of Americans fail to ask doctors for the prescriptions they need, fail to fill the prescriptions they get, fail to take their full doses, or take the medicines less often than they should. The study further shows that nearly one American woman in five, between the ages of 50 and 64, failed to fill a prescription because it was too expensive. The problems affect not only low-income seniors but the uninsured and middle-class people on fixed incomes as well. The process of ordering prescription drugs from Canada is quite simple, and more importantly…LEGAL. • Patients must provide a prescription from their doctor. (Computerized slips, empty bottles or labels are not accepted.) Prescriptions cannot be transferred from a U.S. pharmacy to a Canadian pharmacy. A faxed copy of the original doctor signed prescription must be presented and may be faxed directly to the company placing the order.• You will be asked to complete a medical history form, which will be faxed to the Canadian pharmacy along with the prescription. • A licensed Canadian physician will review all prescription orders and medical history before any orders are filled. • The maximum you may purchase is a 3-month supply of each of your medications, provided that you have a valid prescription for that supply of medication. Due to regulations put into place by the FDA, American citizens are only allowed to import a maximum of 3-months worth of medication for personal use. Any amount above this 3-month limit is not considered "personal use". If your physician writes a prescription for more than a 3-month supply, your prescription can be refilled, as you require. Any narcotic or controlled substance cannot be shipped across the border, including any habit-forming medications such as Valium and Tylenol #3. • Because the pharmacy is located in Canada, no insurance is accepted. If needed a receipt can be furnished. • Prescriptions are delivered by mail to the home within 10-14 days. They are the exact same medications that you would receive in the U.S. Prices are lower in Canada because the government negotiates prices with drug companies. And, drug companies selling into Canada are not allowed to advertise their products. The benefit to the U.S. consumer is: The same prescription drugs… from the same manufacturers… at a savings of 49% on brand name and 60-70% on generic drugs.