Recent experience with prescriptions from Canada?

July 4, 2006 11:42 PM

Is it no longer safe to order prescriptions from Canada? I know there was a US Customs crackdown recently, but was that temporary? Any first-hand experience appreciated.

I don't really know how many of these shipments are being seized, so I don't know if it's worth the risk. I heard a rumor that the crackdown coincided with the new Medicare plan on purpose, and I'm hoping things have cooled off. I spend over $600/month on meds right now - Canada's looking good. I'm nowhere near the border, so going to Canada myself would entail serious travel.

posted by shifafa to law & government (6 comments total)

Is it no longer safe to order prescriptions from Canada?

According to Canada Drug Talk, safety never was an issue with Canadian drugs.

Health Canada standards are on par with FDA standards and many argue that Canadian drugs are safer than those in the US because Canada only sells drugs in factory-sealed packages (sealed at the same FDA-approved factories that make the drugs used in the US).

Questioning the safety of Canadian drugs was done solely for political/economical reasons at the behest of a strong drug company lobby.

Important: Be sure that you are dealing with an actual Canadian pharmacy. Many scam pharmacy sites claim to be Canadian but are not (usually based in US with questionable suppliers overseas). Avoid them. Canada Drug Talk lists some good tips to ensure you are dealing with a real Canadian pharmacy.

I heard a rumor that the crackdown coincided with the new Medicare plan on purpose, and I'm hoping things have cooled off.

Yes, the crackdown did seem to coincide with the new Medicare plan. Things should cool off as time passes.

Perhaps call a Canadian pharmacy toll free and ask them if packages are still being intercepted. Or, if you know of a local senior citizen advocacy group that supports importing drugs from Canada, you could ask them. Canada Drug Talk's Useful Links section lists some advocacy groups you could try (as well as Canadian regulatory agencies you could contact to confirm you are dealing with an actual pharmacy).

Also, are generic drugs available for the drugs you are taking? Generic drugs tend to be cheaper in the US (but you have to shop around - some pharmacies gouge customers on generics).
posted by stringbean at 1:06 AM on July 5, 2006

stringbean already covered this pretty well, but I would be VERY wary of buying ANY drugs online. You have no guarantee of

a) Where it's really coming from
b) What it actually IS (sugar pills, anyone?)

Also, I assume that by "safe" you mean "is my shipment likely to be seized at the border?" - I can't answer that question with any certainty. I guess there's always a chance, and if it's coming from a relatively well known pharmacy, there's a much higher chance.
posted by antifuse at 4:14 AM on July 5, 2006

Thanks for the responses so far. I don't mean "are the drugs safe," I'm wondering how likely it is my package will get seized. There are no generics for my meds. I've been taking them for years, and have pretty much tried everything I can think of to find cheaper prices, to no avail. I've been turned down for health insurance three times, so I have to pay full price.
posted by shifafa at 8:43 AM on July 5, 2006

Oh yeah - I have done my homework, and have found a legit and reputable pharmacy in BC.
posted by shifafa at 8:44 AM on July 5, 2006

I don't know how likely it is, but I know that some of my patients, who rely on clobazam or vigabatrin for seizure control, have had their (quite costly) monthly prescriptions seized in the past couple of months. We're waiting to see if the re-orders get seized too - I'll ask around.
posted by ikkyu2 at 9:38 AM on July 5, 2006

ikkyu2 - thanks so much. My email is in my profile, in case you hear anything else of interest. My inhaler is $238/month here at home, $115 from Canada. Effexor is $254/month here. Robbery, anyone?
posted by shifafa at 10:48 AM on July 5, 2006