I just checked Canadian prices for my husband's meds.

[napi21]

I have to tell you, I was very surprised! Of the 5 different meds he takes, ONE was cheaper in Canada!!!

He just hit the donut hole and needs one script filled before January so I went on a search. I got the Canadian web addy from my Medicare ins. broker a few weeks ago, and it's one he uses all the time.

I know it's unfair to make a judgement based on only 5 drugs, but are we SURE Canada's drug prices are really as much lower as we're being told?

[rucky]

1. FWIW, the exchange rate's about even, now.

Maybe that has something to do with it

[napi21]

2. If that's the reason, then we are being handed a BIG crock of "S"

and have lots of people hating each other for NOTHING!

[sandnsea]

3. Check Mexico

My parents used to get meds there all the time. They're generally much much cheaper. I haven't found Canadian meds to be that much cheaper either.

There's a difference between, woohoo I saved $50 bucks on my $300 prescription - and not even having the $50 bucks to begin with. One is a convenience, the other critical. More and more I am hearing people ready to jetison this bill because they won't be getting any convenience from it so to hell with the people who are in critical need.

[Warpy]

4. If it's a generic drug, it's generally not worth the hassle

because the prices are only slightly lower, if at all, in Canada. The big savings come with drugs that are still on patent, the ones the drug companies want to keep the US public captive on so they can milk the maximum profit out of us until the patent expires.

When my drugs were on patent, I got them there. Once they were generic, I started to get them here.

I found little difference in drug prices in Canada but a huge difference in Mexico when I used to drive down a couple of times a year for meds. They're not set up for US customers online like Canada is and some of their companies are pretty chancy, though. The best bet is to go on vacation and visit a pharmacy while you're there. If you've got a 6 month supply and a valid US prescription, customs won't bother you.

[Blue Meany]

7. I used to stock up on meds during trips to Mexico and Guatemala...

which have prices quite a bit cheaper than Canada. It's interesting that this has not become an political issue in the US, because they really do have drugs dumped on the market there that are too dangerous to sell here.

[Warpy]

14. Yeah, you really do have to know who you're dealing with.

I had them trained at Benavidez, the Mexican Walgreen's equivalent. They'd see me coming through the door and slap the Mexican PDR on the counter for me.

I have never gotten anything bad there, but I know what I'm taking and I'm not going through some iffy clinic, makes a huge difference.

[RobinA]

10. I Checked

for my SO's nongenerics about a year and a half ago. The difference was quite significant on some very expensive drugs. He slashed about $1100 a month (with insurance) to $600 a month (without insurance). Generics, not so much. I did not think it was a hassle, since you get a three month supply, but you do have to come up with the front money. He thought it was a hassle and preferred to pay the extra $500 a month. He's unemployed. Go figure.

Plus, if you can get the brand from Canada for the same price as the generic in the US, you're better off with the brand.

[Monk06]

5. The first choice by Pharmacare (BC Medical Plan) is generics. If there is no generic

Pharmacare will approve a name brand med on the
recommendation of a specialist for free or at
a reduced price depending on your level of subsidy

The difference in the subsidized price and the market
price is paid to the manufacturer by Pharmacare. The
market price may be cheaper in Canada than the US or
not depending on the price negotiated with suppliers
by the Government but not necessarily.

Drugs approved by the FDA but not approved
by Health Canada are considered experimental and not
covered by Pharmacare.

[spartan61]

6. My husband just came back from the drug store (in FL)

where he had to have a Rx filled. He has a cut on his leg that became infected and the dermatologist prescribed an antibiotic. He came home with 7 pills and the cost without insurance was $119!!! We are fortunate in that we have Rx insurance ($250 deductible and then 20%). Of course the coverage isn't cheap and going up every year, but we are much luckier than all the people with no coverage. I was ranting just now about all those senators who voted against the drug re importation amendment. My heart goes out to the millions of Americans who have no health or Rx insurance. The Senate has to stop their dithering and get down to the people's business. They need to stop being so selfish and get on with the business they were sent to Washington to do. I don't know when I have ever seen such juvenile behavior by supposedly intelligent people. I can count on only one hand the number of senators I have any respect for. (and, no, Lieberman isn't one of them.)

[polly7]

8. Valérie Paris and Elizabeth Docteur. Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies in Canada OEC

Pg. 72 concludes in a 2003 study that Canadian prices overall appear to be 33% lower than U.S., though I haven't been able to find anything more recent. Things may have changed.

http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/21/40/37868186.pdf

[timeforpeace]

9. Generics aren't cheaper. It's the brand names that most docs prescribe that are up to 80% less.

[napi21]

11. I was looking for Zetia & Lipitor. Zetia was only $50.00 MORE

in Canadia than at my local pharmacy, and Lipitor was $100.00 LESS and they were both for 3 month supply.

[timeforpeace]

12. Your experience is certainly the exception. Maybe the source he sent you to is a ripoff.

[napi21]

13. Well he's a diabetic & has been using it for several years.

The other thing I just did was check online for the cheapest drug prices purchased online. Most of those were from India, and even they weren't that great plus the consumer reviews, although they praised the company, stated their orders took from 2 to 3 weeks for delivery.

I'm not complaining so much about the price differences as much as I'm complaining about the people who have promoted what appears to me to be a SCAM on the public of the US! They have EVERYBODY believing that we are being soooo cheated and how wrong the congress is for not approving reimportation!

[pitohui]

15. the dollar collapsed versus the canadian dollar

when dubya took office he said he would follow a "soft dollar" policy and after almost a decade of this policy, the usa dollar is almost on a par w. the canada dollar

when people were buying canadian meds in clinton era, we're talking about the canada dollar would be like worth abt 60 cents usa

even then me personally, i did better buying in mexico

[Cleita]

16. Where did you get your information?

If it's from the online Canadian pharmacies they charge prices similar to ours. I also read someplace that many of them representing themselves as Canadian pharmacies are in fact located here in the USA. There is a Canadian forum here at DU and they are pretty helpful at answering questions about their system. Maybe ask them to price a couple of the drugs for you from their local pharmacy in Canada.

[napi21]

17. getcanadiandrugs.com The reason I cose them is because

my Medicare ins. broker told me hHE's been using that site for his diabetes drugs for several years. I was afraid to just PICK ONE off of the net withough knowing anything about them. I did however also googlecheapest drugs online. All the ones I checked that had good ratings from their customers were from India!