WOT: Canadian Online Pharmacies

[stephenmarklay]

My mother in law was prescribed a medication that is about $400.00 a month and she does to have insurance that covers her prescriptions.

I did some research and it is about 25% the cost in Canada and it appears that it is a viable choice.

I am wondering if any of you are using a Canadian pharmacy that is legit?

I found thecanadianpharmacy.com which appear legit but I would like to know if there are any sure things…

Thanks

[FlashUNC]

I once had a riding buddy who bought fish antibiotics from Mexico and took them for a sinus infection.

His logic was the ingredients were "essentially* the same as the human version he could get from his doctor.

Closest I've got for you man. Can't beat American healthcare.

[tomato coupe]

We've used several in the past, and are still using one or two of them. All were legit and the prices are sooooo much lower. Like any online purchasing, there are occasional hiccups or delays, but we've not had any major issues.

[cash05458]

"who bought fish antibiotics from Mexico and took them for a sinus infection.

His logic was the ingredients were "essentially* the same as the human version he could get from his doctor."

fish mox forte...actually: "exactly" the same and made in same factory that you get your penicillin from...same numbers on tab....everything...it is the same stuff...

as for Canada, sure it is fine...all this crap is from same places and just jammed up price wise via our messed up insurance here...I live on Vermont border, about 15 miles away...everyone drives over to pick up meds there...at far cheaper...same crap...not like american pharma and FDA has any more quality control or your best interest than anywhere else...they don't... except via your pocketbook of course...

[buddybikes]

if she has coverage, why do it, or are you saying co-pay is 400.

Most all brand name stuff has coupons. I have one med my co-pay is 250 mth, but coupon from Lilly? dropped it to 85. Also goodrx is worth checking to see if their card will be lower.

Stinks, the glucose test strips I have to use to sync with my pump is also this high co-pay, cheaper to buy on ebay.

also look at her out of pocket max, if she hits it, then could be no charge.

[metalheart]

My wife has a couple of meds that are pricey to get here in the US, but she now uses drug mart.com in Canada for these meds and they are significantly more affordable. Refill and delivery has been reliable and without any issues.

[stephenmarklay]

if she has coverage, why do it, or are you saying co-pay is 400.

Most all brand name stuff has coupons. I have one med my co-pay is 250 mth, but coupon from Lilly? dropped it to 85. Also goodrx is worth checking to see if their card will be lower.

Stinks, the glucose test strips I have to use to sync with my pump is also this high co-pay, cheaper to buy on ebay.

also look at her out of pocket max, if she hits it, then could be no charge.

Thank you Steve. She does not have prescription coverage and the roughly $450/month is the best coupon price using GoodRx.

[stephenmarklay]

My wife has a couple of meds that are pricey to get here in the US, but she now uses drug mart.com in Canada for these meds and they are significantly more affordable. Refill and delivery has been reliable and without any issues.

Thank you metalheart. I will check this place out.

[fignon's barber]

My mother in law was prescribed a medication that is about $400.00 a month and she does to have insurance that covers her prescriptions.


Is it a branded or generic medication? If branded, have her ask the prescribing physician if there is a generic alternative. That would be the most convenient solution. The majority of internet "Canadian pharmacies" are scams, and most of the legit ones aren't even in Canada.

[daker13]

"who bought fish antibiotics from Mexico and took them for a sinus infection.

His logic was the ingredients were "essentially* the same as the human version he could get from his doctor."

fish mox forte...actually: "exactly" the same and made in same factory that you get your penicillin from...same numbers on tab....everything...it is the same stuff...

as for Canada, sure it is fine...all this crap is from same places and just jammed up price wise via our messed up insurance here...I live on Vermont border, about 15 miles away...everyone drives over to pick up meds there...at far cheaper...same crap...not like american pharma and FDA has any more quality control or your best interest than anywhere else...they don't... except via your pocketbook of course...

Yeah, they're the same stuff, and fish antibiotics aren't illegal in the US, you can buy them here.

[Willy]

I use www.northwestpharmacy.com and find them legit and cheap compared to US pharmacies

[tomato coupe]

The majority of internet "Canadian pharmacies" are scams

No, they're not ...

and most of the legit ones aren't even in Canada.

Yes, they are ...

[akelman]

Do your research. There are legitimate Canadian pharmacies that sell RX at greatly reduced prices. And there are also scammers looking to make a buck off vulnerable people. Make sure you're buying from a legitimate place you can trust, and Bob's your uncle.

[GonaSovereign]

Google will tell you:
Canadian drugs are cheaper because the government regulates the price of generic and brand-name medication. The prices of cheaper generic drugs, which account for most prescriptions, are set through deals with drug companies at the provincial and national levels.

That's an accurate statement, says the guy who lives and works in the US and Canada.

The government grants permission to sell drugs and (at several gov't levels) worked out a deal to manage the prices companies will sell their drugs. It fits with Canada's publicly funded medical system, in which all taxpayers contribute to the cost of medical care through taxes. Healthcare in Canada is not free; it's just available. It's cool. It works. It has its problems, but everyone will be taken care of. BTW, the quality of the Canadian system is generally considered better than the US, but well behind the best countries (UK, Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Norway...)

On the drugs front, many Canadian companies are now working the drug border arbitrage to sell Americans cheaper drugs. Yes, the drugs are the same on both sides of the border. (There have been a couple notable times when one country hasn't approved a drug the other has.)

The only major problem I foresee: Canada has 37 million people, and the drug companies produce drugs for 37 million people. If everyone in the US starts buying from some dot com, there will be shortages in Canada. Someone in [random US location] who can't afford a critical drug won't care about that and they have my blessing to not care. Everyone else: write your elected representative.

[zzy]

BTW, the quality of the Canadian system is generally considered better than the US, but well behind the best countries (UK, Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Norway...)

where on earth did you get that from?

[GonaSovereign]

where on earth did you get that from?


The internet is on Earth. Institutions regularly map the quality of care in countries around the world. Most are relatively objective.
Here's a quickly acquired graphic that supports my statement:
https://images.theconversation.com/files/184382/original/file-20170901-27291-139epe4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=2

Canada has better care than the US, on average, but not as good as other countries.

To be crystal clear, I don't have a significant bias one way or the other (I like getting fixed up when needed). I have also received healthcare in several countries.

Here's a good place to start.
Google search: :quality of medical care in major countries" result (https://www.google.com/search?ei=EstlXY3VDcuZ_QaOrYioAQ&q=quality+of+medical+care+in+major+countries&oq=quality+of+medical+care+in+major+countries&gs_l=psy-ab.3..33i22i29i30l2.126437.126437..126641...0.3..0 .138.138.0j1......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i71.zMkR2GDNhZI&ved=0ahUKEwiNpvvup6TkAhXLTN8KHY4WAhUQ4dUDCAo&uact=5).

Here's the link to that chart.https://theconversation.com/how-healthy-is-the-canadian-health-care-system-82674
More https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_the_healthcare_systems_in_Canada_and _the_United_States

[stephenmarklay]

I use www.northwestpharmacy.com and find them legit and cheap compared to US pharmacies

Thank you. This is one that I saw too.

[stephenmarklay]

Is it a branded or generic medication? If branded, have her ask the prescribing physician if there is a generic alternative. That would be the most convenient solution. The majority of internet "Canadian pharmacies" are scams, and most of the legit ones aren't even in Canada.

Thank you. Unfortunately there is not generic.

Yes the majority are scams but some are not which is the reason for the inquiry here.

[stephenmarklay]

Thank you so much everyone. I have several good leads and will make some calls tomorrow.

[fignon's barber]

Thank you. Unfortunately there is not generic.

Yes the majority are scams but some are not which is the reason for the inquiry here.

Here in Florida, we have brick and mortar "Canadian" pharmacies all over the place. There's one about a mile from me, that's been there for at least 10 years (I've driven past it since I've lived here). I went in yesterday out of curiosity. Pharmacist/owner was very nice. He explained that his business was like any old mom and pop pharmacy, but instead of stocking meds, he used a software system that picked the rx from wholesalers globally based on price/availability and if that country legally would ship the product here. He asked me to randomly pick a drug name, and this particular script would come from New Zealand at one price in 3-4 weeks, or Germany at a bit higher price in 1-2 weeks. He also confirmed most "Canadian" pharmacies aren't in Canada, but used the name because it identifies with low price. If you want, pm me and I can give you the name of the pharmacy ( obviously, I have no commercial interests).

[stephenmarklay]

Here in Florida, we have brick and mortar "Canadian" pharmacies all over the place. There's one about a mile from me, that's been there for at least 10 years (I've driven past it since I've lived here). I went in yesterday out of curiosity. Pharmacist/owner was very nice. He explained that his business was like any old mom and pop pharmacy, but instead of stocking meds, he used a software system that picked the rx from wholesalers globally based on price/availability and if that country legally would ship the product here. He asked me to randomly pick a drug name, and this particular script would come from New Zealand at one price in 3-4 weeks, or Germany at a bit higher price in 1-2 weeks. He also confirmed most "Canadian" pharmacies aren't in Canada, but used the name because it identifies with low price. If you want, pm me and I can give you the name of the pharmacy ( obviously, I have no commercial interests).

Thank you! I am actually hoping to find an actual pharmacy in Canada… I do have several I believe. Thanks

[fellowpicker]

I recently went turned 65 and got into the whole medicare world. The company I got supplemental insurance with has a yearly wellness checkup they recommend. This was with an actual MD and he recommended checking out cipa.com for access to legit Canadian pharmaceutical websites. I have visited the site but very briefly so I can't give any first hand reports, gut my referral came from a legitimate source.

https://www.cipa.com/

[PQJ]

Can't beat American healthcare.

Absolutely the case, as long as your net worth is some form of “-ionnaire.”

[seedster2]

I would strongly caution anyone purchasing their medicines online to refer the national boards of pharmacy that has a verified internet pharmacy list (VIPPs). Pharmacies not found on the list are typically bogus or do not sell approved medicines that may be substandard or do not require Rx.

I have published peer reviewed research in this area and know that many of these rogue pharmacies purport to be connected to brick and mortar stores, but sell unapproved generics. The use of Canadian pharmacy is intentional and provides a false sense of comfort to Americans who falsely believe the savings will be passed on to them.

They have even started targeting consumers in the Florida area with purported mail order. You will receive product but they will not be FDA approved so you’re taking a significant risk.

These “Canadian” pharmacies have been found to sell counterfeits:

https://www.safemedicines.org/2013/01/fake-online-pharmacy-founder-andrew-strempler-guilty-of-mail-fraud-508.html

Fake Avastin came into physician’s hands in a similar way

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2012/02/15/146929475/fda-warns-about-fake-avastin-in-us

Fake viagra

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8916498/fake-online-viagra-health-risk/
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00552663/document

I’d contact the manufacturer to see if they have any patient support programs available. Buying from a rogue online pharmacy would be my absolute last alternative.

By the way CIPA was created by a bunch of rogue Canadian pharmacy owners. I wouldn’t trust them at all.


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[oldpotatoe]

Absolutely the case, as long as your net worth is some form of “-ionnaire.”

Pretty sure he was being sarcastic about ‘can’t beat American health care’. US health care is good but not the best in any area other than costing the most, by far. Subsidizing health care insurance companies and their leaders is the main goal, and staying wealthy, so they can bribe a variety of members of the federal govt, including the guy in the big chair.

[stephenmarklay]

I would strongly caution anyone purchasing their medicines online to refer the national boards of pharmacy that has a verified internet pharmacy list (VIPPs). Pharmacies not found on the list are typically bogus or do not sell approved medicines that may be substandard or do not require Rx.

I have published peer reviewed research in this area and know that many of these rogue pharmacies purport to be connected to brick and mortar stores, but sell unapproved generics. The use of Canadian pharmacy is intentional and provides a false sense of comfort to Americans who falsely believe the savings will be passed on to them.

They have even started targeting consumers in the Florida area with purported mail order. You will receive product but they will not be FDA approved so you’re taking a significant risk.

These “Canadian” pharmacies have been found to sell counterfeits:

https://www.safemedicines.org/2013/01/fake-online-pharmacy-founder-andrew-strempler-guilty-of-mail-fraud-508.html

Fake Avastin came into physician’s hands in a similar way

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2012/02/15/146929475/fda-warns-about-fake-avastin-in-us

Fake viagra

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8916498/fake-online-viagra-health-risk/
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00552663/document

I’d contact the manufacturer to see if they have any patient support programs

available. Buying from a rogue online pharmacy would be my absolute last alternative.

By the way CIPA was created by a bunch of rogue Canadian pharmacy owners. I wouldn’t trust them at all.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you for the warning. While most are clearly fake some are not. We do have the option of driving as we are only a 3 hour drive from a pharmacy in Canada.

Vipps is not useful as it is only US pharmacies.

[FlashUNC]

Absolutely the case, as long as your net worth is some form of “-ionnaire.”

Pretty sure he was being sarcastic about ‘can’t beat American health care’. US health care is good but not the best in any area other than costing the most, by far. Subsidizing health care insurance companies and their leaders is the main goal, and staying wealthy, so they can bribe a variety of members of the federal govt, including the guy in the big chair.

Ah yes, apologies, the Old Spud was spot on. Tongue was planted firmly in cheek.

But PQJ's point is also right. If you're rich, the American healthcare system works great. For everyone else, its an existential threat of financial ruin.

[Clancy]

I once had a riding buddy who bought fish antibiotics from Mexico and took them for a sinus infection.

His logic was the ingredients were "essentially* the same as the human version he could get from his doctor.

Closest I've got for you man. Can't beat American healthcare.

Cant’ beat American healthcare?

Wow, that is a mighty depressing thought

[ColonelJLloyd]

Cant’ beat American healthcare?

Wow, that is a mighty depressing thought

It's wise to read through an entire thread before posting replies.

[wasfast]

My primary care doc recommended Northwest Pharmacy, mentioned above. I have had decent service from them. The delivery for certain meds, generic Viagra for example, is somewhat slow, taking 2-3 weeks. Just plan ahead because it's 10% of the US cost.

[stephenmarklay]

My primary care doc recommended Northwest Pharmacy, mentioned above. I have had decent service from them. The delivery for certain meds, generic Viagra for example, is somewhat slow, taking 2-3 weeks. Just plan ahead because it's 10% of the US cost.

Thank you so much. I have had a couple of recommendations for that pharmacy.

[stephenmarklay]

I wanted to follow up on this. I was not really comfortable nor convinced that the online pharmacies were legit. I know the exist but I just don’t know how to be certain...

I mentioned that we are about 3 hours from the closest town in Canada so my wife took her mother there today.

It all worked out swimmingly. They went to a clinic and the Dr. was great. He wrote her prescription and wrote a letter in the even the US boarder gave them a problem.

The pharmacy filled 3 months and offered to mail her the rest of the year.

The US boarder was also great. They were very understanding a sent them on their way.

So was it worth it? Absolutely. She paid $89 canadian at the Dr. and just over $600 for a 6 month supply. So together $6xx US.

As a comparison the cheapest locally would have been $2700.

Thanks for the help.