Importing Drugs from Canada is Growing But!…….Beware!

Over $600 million in Rx imports in just the last year. It’s mostly through the mail...from Internet pharmacies. The lower prices are due to Canadian gov't price controls and favorable Canadian currency conversion rates.

Most Canadian provinces don't allow pharmacists to fill Rxs from U.S. physicians...so Canadian physicians "rewrite" them. U.S. law says importation is illegal...but most patients have no idea they're breaking the law.

FDA is now cracking down...targeting "storefronts" and questionable Internet pharmacies. Some aren't even in Canada. Some aren't licensed. Some advertise "Canadian" drugs, but get the drugs from other countries...or use counterfeits.

U.S. drug manufacturers aren't happy. They're losing money. And it makes them look bad...due to their high U.S. prices. Some manufacturers are putting the squeeze on Canadian pharmacies...by withholding shipments if pharmacies fill U.S. scripts. Some insurance companies like it. Canadian Rxs cost them less.

AARP is jumping into the fray...telling millions of seniors how to get Rxs filled in Canada...despite the illegality...despite the risks. Some senators are grandstanding...taking busloads of seniors to Canada to get Rxs filled...and making political hay for themselves.

U.S. pharmacy organizations are lobbying...to get the U.S. gov't to cover senior Rxs...and keep the business here at home.
The Medicare woes in the U.S. have allowed the Canadian pharmacy Internet business to thrive and profit. Many consider it unconscionable to deny seniors and other consumers the right to affordable therapies vital to their health and survival. The pharmacy Internet providers have been lifesavers for those who would otherwise be unable to afford critical therapies for their general well-being or survival.
One must not be naïve to the fact that the bottom line of most of the debate is a financial one; from the doctor who signs the prescriptions, to the consumer who must budget for them, to the pharmacies that dispense them, to the pharmaceutical industry that profits from their sale, and the U.S. government that must consider the potential financial burdens imposed by Medicare reforms. There are no easy solutions and this controversy will likely be around for years to come.
Don't expect this issue to go away anytime soon. New laws will be held up for years. FDA enforcement will be challenged in court.

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