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How is prescription medication from Canada so cheap???
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amother
Cobalt


 

Post Tue, Sep 27 2016, 6:20 am
I don't have insurance at the moment and I have to take medication that at my local CVS would cost around $1200. A friend sent me a link to Canadian pharmacy companies and it appears that they are offering my medication for between $60 and $100. Am I missing something? Is this possible? Does anyone have any experience with this? Thanks.
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OOTBubby




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Sep 27 2016, 7:44 am
amother wrote:
I don't have insurance at the moment and I have to take medication that at my local CVS would cost around $1200. A friend sent me a link to Canadian pharmacy companies and it appears that they are offering my medication for between $60 and $100. Am I missing something? Is this possible? Does anyone have any experience with this? Thanks.


I don't know about Canadian pharmacies, but I was recently told about GoodRx which gives you a coupon to get medications much cheaper locally. It is worth taking a look to see what your medication would cost with their coupon.
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cm




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Sep 27 2016, 7:52 am
You are not missing anything. Many prescriptions are much more expensive in the US than in other countries.
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amother
Cerulean


 

Post Tue, Sep 27 2016, 7:55 am
Canada has race controls on medicine. They have a review board that uses some kind of range in which prices of medication should be. US has no such thing.
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SixOfWands




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Sep 27 2016, 7:59 am
As the FDA has stated, "“Don’t order medicines from web sites that claim to be Canadian pharmacies. Most are not legitimate pharmacies, and the drugs they supply are illegal and potentially dangerous." There have even been instances of fake cancer drugs. That doesn't mean that there are not legitimate pharmacies. But you need to be careful.
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amother
Mistyrose


 

Post Tue, Sep 27 2016, 9:47 am
I don't live in Canada but in Europe. We don't really have comprehensive socialised medicine here except for very low income people so I pay out of pocket for all my medicines. I see stuff is often much here then in the USA. Recently a friend was over from the usa and he needed a refill of his medication since his insurance wouldn't cover more then a months supply and he was away for longer then that. He was flabbergasted at how much cheaper it was here.
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amother
Smokey


 

Post Tue, Sep 27 2016, 10:34 am
The Canadian government subsidizes the cost of many medications. That's why they are cheaper than in the US - because Canadian taxpayers are picking up part of the cost. Obviously, these drugs are not meant to be sold outside of Canada. I have no idea how these websites operate legally.
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amother
Ivory


 

Post Tue, Sep 27 2016, 10:41 am
Socialized healthcare versus free market. Lucky for all of us, via USA's free market (I.e. Exorbitantly priced drugs), there is still incentive for research and development of new treatments and cures that the whole world benefits from.
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Marion




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Sep 27 2016, 11:38 am
It's been a while since I picked up a prescription in Canada, and I've never bought one in the U.S., but there's a $12-$14 (CDN) dispensing fee for EVERY prescription in Canada. The drugs may be cheap but getting them sure isn't! (Compare - EpiPen in Canada was $100CDN...less whatever insurance covered as a reimbursement, I think about $20CDN total. No clue how much they are (were) in the United States (not now, 10 years ago), but I pay 55NIS for mine now in Israel.) I *know* my EpiPen in Israel is subsidized.
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Deep




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Sep 27 2016, 11:46 am
The Canadian government does not subsidize prescription medications outside of hospitals. Prices are capped by the "Patented Medicine Prices Review Board" using a very specific formula.
Here's a short explanation from abc news:

"Canadians are spared higher drug prices, in large part because of price controls. The Canadian government has established a "Patented Medicine Prices Review Board" to ensure drug prices are not excessive.

"They look at the price of the drug," said Dr. Allan Detsky, a pharmacoeconomist at the University of Toronto, "and they say, 'You know what, we have no idea what the long-run costs of development are, but they can't possibly be that high. Forget it.' "

The review board has established a very specific formula for drug companies wishing to sell in Canada:

Existing drugs cannot increase in price by more than the rate of inflation.

New drugs cannot cost more than similar drugs for the same illness.

And a breakthrough drug, the first of a new class of drugs, cannot cost more than the median price for the drug in other countries.

For example, the new cancer drug Campath is priced as follows: United States: $2,400 France: $760 Sweden $660 Britain $570 Italy $500

The median, or "midprice," is $660, so Canadian regulations say that's the most the drug can sell for in Canada.

"It tells you that the true long-run cost of production must be way lower than the American price," said Detsky.

U.S. Alone in No Price Controls

Every industrialized country has some form of price controls on patented medications, except the United States. American drug companies say price controls stifle innovation and discourage them from selling certain drugs in foreign markets.

"The principal problem with price controls is you have limitations on access to medicines, and you don't have the newest most innovative treatments," said Alan Holmer, president and CEO of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

But when pressed, representatives of the pharmaceutical industry could only identify eight drugs not available on Canadian shelves, and three of those are contraceptives. That's not enough to bother many Canadians.

"I don't mind," said Ireland. "I think we have a pretty good selection."

And much of that selection consists of American-made drugs, at well below American prices."
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amother
Smokey


 

Post Tue, Sep 27 2016, 12:07 pm
Deep wrote:
The Canadian government does not subsidize prescription medications outside of hospitals. Prices are capped by the "Patented Medicine Prices Review Board" using a very specific formula.
Here's a short explanation from abc news:

"Canadians are spared higher drug prices, in large part because of price controls. The Canadian government has established a "Patented Medicine Prices Review Board" to ensure drug prices are not excessive.

"They look at the price of the drug," said Dr. Allan Detsky, a pharmacoeconomist at the University of Toronto, "and they say, 'You know what, we have no idea what the long-run costs of development are, but they can't possibly be that high. Forget it.' "

The review board has established a very specific formula for drug companies wishing to sell in Canada:

Existing drugs cannot increase in price by more than the rate of inflation.

New drugs cannot cost more than similar drugs for the same illness.

And a breakthrough drug, the first of a new class of drugs, cannot cost more than the median price for the drug in other countries.

For example, the new cancer drug Campath is priced as follows: United States: $2,400 France: $760 Sweden $660 Britain $570 Italy $500

The median, or "midprice," is $660, so Canadian regulations say that's the most the drug can sell for in Canada.

"It tells you that the true long-run cost of production must be way lower than the American price," said Detsky.

U.S. Alone in No Price Controls

Every industrialized country has some form of price controls on patented medications, except the United States. American drug companies say price controls stifle innovation and discourage them from selling certain drugs in foreign markets.

"The principal problem with price controls is you have limitations on access to medicines, and you don't have the newest most innovative treatments," said Alan Holmer, president and CEO of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

But when pressed, representatives of the pharmaceutical industry could only identify eight drugs not available on Canadian shelves, and three of those are contraceptives. That's not enough to bother many Canadians.

"I don't mind," said Ireland. "I think we have a pretty good selection."

And much of that selection consists of American-made drugs, at well below American prices."


Thanks for this. I see I was misinformed.
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amother
cornflower


 

Post Tue, Sep 27 2016, 12:18 pm
you've got the question the wrong way around.

the real question is why are meds (and all medical services) so prohibitively expensive in the US.
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sourstix




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 29 2016, 10:07 am
even though medicine in the usa is expensive the experts are in the usa. so I guess it goes bothe ways. socialized medicine wont offer you what the free world can give.
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Marion




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 29 2016, 10:26 am
sourstix wrote:
even though medicine in the usa is expensive the experts are in the usa. so I guess it goes bothe ways. socialized medicine wont offer you what the free world can give.


Nope, Canada has no experts. That's why no one except Canadians ever uses the health care system. We have no wait times because we're the only ones interested in seeing our doctors, Ronald McDonald houses near Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children sit empty, and insulin was discovered by whom?
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Chana Miriam S




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 29 2016, 10:31 am
amother wrote:
The Canadian government subsidizes the cost of many medications. That's why they are cheaper than in the US - because Canadian taxpayers are picking up part of the cost. Obviously, these drugs are not meant to be sold outside of Canada. I have no idea how these websites operate legally.


This is not remotely true.
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Chana Miriam S




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 29 2016, 10:31 am
Marion wrote:
Nope, Canada has no experts. That's why no one except Canadians ever uses the health care system. We have no wait times because we're the only ones interested in seeing our doctors, Ronald McDonald houses near Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children sit empty, and insulin was discovered by whom?


You go girl!
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Chana Miriam S




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 29 2016, 10:33 am
sourstix wrote:
even though medicine in the usa is expensive the experts are in the usa. so I guess it goes bothe ways. socialized medicine wont offer you what the free world can give.


This is seriously one if he top five most ignorant statements I've ever seen on Ima.
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Chana Miriam S




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 29 2016, 10:37 am
The twenty percent my private drug coverage ( we have free medical not drugs) is $500 a month CAD. For five drugs. You do the math.

Also FYI, meclizune when it was available here sold for $50 a bottle. $4.95 for the same bottle in buffalo ny
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Chana Miriam S




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 29 2016, 10:39 am
amother wrote:
Socialized healthcare versus free market. Lucky for all of us, via USA's free market (I.e. Exorbitantly priced drugs), there is still incentive for research and development of new treatments and cures that the whole world benefits from.


Ignorant also. Canadians have led the way in their share of innovation. With TEN TIMES fewer people than the USA.
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Chana Miriam S




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 29 2016, 10:42 am
amother wrote:
The Canadian government subsidizes the cost of many medications. That's why they are cheaper than in the US - because Canadian taxpayers are picking up part of the cost. Obviously, these drugs are not meant to be sold outside of Canada. I have no idea how these websites operate legally.


Ohforgodsake. DRUGS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN HEALTHCARE UNLESS GIVEN IN A HOSPITAL TO AN ADMITTED PATIENT OR IN AN ER. Healthcare is free. Prescriptions are not.
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