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09-30-2019, 01:50 PM
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#641
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Northern Illinois
Posts: 16,603
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Ordered a beverage center this morning. On my way to pick it up.
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09-30-2019, 06:14 PM
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#642
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: SoCal, Lausanne
Posts: 4,408
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Flew to Toronto with my wife over the weekend first class (Air Canada 787 Dreamliner from LAX) to pick up my wife's Obgyn prescriptions from a Costco pharmacy in Toronto. The savings(one year supply) more than covered the entire trip. Even better was our prescription from last November still had refills and was valid so we didn't have to renew the prescription with a doctor in Canada this time. We don't mind stimulating the Canadian economy at the expense of greedy pharmaceutical companies and CVS Caremark. It costs $394 per month to fill the prescription here versus $15.85 per month in Canada using the brand name drug in both cases. The generic version would cost $244 per month here. The drug is pretty common and has been around for decades. We also enjoyed some fine dinners in Toronto.
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09-30-2019, 08:15 PM
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#643
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 524
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 Quote:
Originally Posted by FreeBear
...and drive around as much as we want.
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I have fond memories of driving in Greece. Now that was an adventure! 
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10-01-2019, 09:53 PM
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#644
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 7,438
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Freedom56
Flew to Toronto with my wife over the weekend first class (Air Canada 787 Dreamliner from LAX) to pick up my wife's Obgyn prescriptions from a Costco pharmacy in Toronto. The savings(one year supply) more than covered the entire trip. Even better was our prescription from last November still had refills and was valid so we didn't have to renew the prescription with a doctor in Canada this time. We don't mind stimulating the Canadian economy at the expense of greedy pharmaceutical companies and CVS Caremark. It costs $394 per month to fill the prescription here versus $15.85 per month in Canada using the brand name drug in both cases. The generic version would cost $244 per month here. The drug is pretty common and has been around for decades. We also enjoyed some fine dinners in Toronto.
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Will they fill prescriptions from US doctors?
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10-04-2019, 04:08 PM
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#645
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: SoCal, Lausanne
Posts: 4,408
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Quote:
Originally Posted by explanade
Will they fill prescriptions from US doctors?
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No. Last year we took the US doctor prescription to a walk in clinic and had the doctor write up the US doctor prescription with double dose. That cost us $50 cash (CDN). Costco allows you to fill 6 months up in Canada and which gave us one year supply with refills this year. Last year we filled it in November. This year we filled it at the end of September. Both times we were at the Costco in North York, there were many people from the US doing exactly the same thing we were doing. For Costco it's an easy cash business without having to process insurance claims. It's 100% legal in Canada. We are under the $800 US customs limit so no issue there either. Plus US Customs are allowing people to cross the border to fill there prescription. They are fully aware of the issue with pharma drug pricing.
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10-04-2019, 07:12 PM
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#646
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 5,214
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Freedom56
No. Last year we took the US doctor prescription to a walk in clinic and had the doctor write up the US doctor prescription with double dose. That cost us $50 cash (CDN). Costco allows you to fill 6 months up in Canada and which gave us one year supply with refills this year. Last year we filled it in November. This year we filled it at the end of September. Both times we were at the Costco in North York, there were many people from the US doing exactly the same thing we were doing. For Costco it's an easy cash business without having to process insurance claims. It's 100% legal in Canada. We are under the $800 US customs limit so no issue there either. Plus US Customs are allowing people to cross the border to fill there prescription. They are fully aware of the issue with pharma drug pricing.
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What did you say to the Canadian doc to make that happen? "I'm trying to save money because the drugs are so expensive in the US?"
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10-04-2019, 07:39 PM
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#647
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,880
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I'm gearing myself up to buy a Tesla.
__________________
Al
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10-04-2019, 07:44 PM
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#648
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,022
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TromboneAl
I'm gearing myself up to buy a Tesla.
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You plan on paying cash or charging it?
__________________
Numbers is hard
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10-04-2019, 08:03 PM
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#649
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 35,712
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__________________
"Old age is the most unexpected of all things that happen to a man" -- Leon Trotsky (1879-1940)
"Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities Can Make You Commit Atrocities" - Voltaire (1694-1778)
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10-04-2019, 08:35 PM
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#650
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 524
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NW-Bound
Did you drive like dis?
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 I didn’t have quite that much fun. But I can say for certain that 2 cars side by side in a 2 lane road with an oncoming truck wouldn’t have been seen as a problem: everybody adjusts a bit and goes on their way. Shoulders are (or were) de facto lanes in Greece.
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10-05-2019, 08:14 AM
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#651
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: SoCal, Lausanne
Posts: 4,408
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tmm99
What did you say to the Canadian doc to make that happen? "I'm trying to save money because the drugs are so expensive in the US?"
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We showed him the prescription from the US Obgyn and explained that we wanted it filled in Canada and wanted a one year supply. The doctor spoke to my wife and actually took her vitals and discussed how long she has been taking the medication. Then he wrote out the prescription with a dosage of twice per week versus once per week. That was it. We have no issue paying for medication at a fair price, but $4750 per year vs $185 for the exact same medication is a little too hard to accept. When you buy from a retail pharmacy in Canada like Costco, you have assurances that the medication is legit.
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10-05-2019, 06:09 PM
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#652
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,880
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__________________
Al
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10-05-2019, 07:00 PM
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#653
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 8,968
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Yeah Baby! Write that big check, it's fun!
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10-05-2019, 07:46 PM
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#654
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Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TromboneAl
I'm gearing myself up to buy a Tesla.
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Where are you hiding the real T AL ? 
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10-05-2019, 07:50 PM
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#655
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,501
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 That's what I was thinking, too!
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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10-05-2019, 09:05 PM
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#656
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 5,214
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Freedom56
We showed him the prescription from the US Obgyn and explained that we wanted it filled in Canada and wanted a one year supply. The doctor spoke to my wife and actually took her vitals and discussed how long she has been taking the medication. Then he wrote out the prescription with a dosage of twice per week versus once per week. That was it. We have no issue paying for medication at a fair price, but $4750 per year vs $185 for the exact same medication is a little too hard to accept. When you buy from a retail pharmacy in Canada like Costco, you have assurances that the medication is legit.
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Wow, a huge difference in price! OMG!
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10-06-2019, 12:23 AM
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#657
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 35,712
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Freedom56
We showed him the prescription from the US Obgyn and explained that we wanted it filled in Canada and wanted a one year supply. The doctor spoke to my wife and actually took her vitals and discussed how long she has been taking the medication. Then he wrote out the prescription with a dosage of twice per week versus once per week. That was it. We have no issue paying for medication at a fair price, but $4750 per year vs $185 for the exact same medication is a little too hard to accept. When you buy from a retail pharmacy in Canada like Costco, you have assurances that the medication is legit.
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If we had a true free market, the above price difference would not happen.
The above price ratio of 25x is a lot more than the average as reported in the following article, which says 16x between the US and India.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/a...ore-for-drugs/
__________________
"Old age is the most unexpected of all things that happen to a man" -- Leon Trotsky (1879-1940)
"Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities Can Make You Commit Atrocities" - Voltaire (1694-1778)
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10-09-2019, 08:10 AM
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#658
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 4,663
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FreeBear
Cephelonia or Milos, shoulder season. Was looking at Santorini, but the cost and crowds turned me away. I hate dealing with the logistics, so we’ll pick single island and camp out for a few weeks, maybe with 1-2 moves at most. Don’t need to see anything famous either, so probably minimal time in Athens. Just want to sit in cafes, and kayak and drive around as much as we want.
Which islands do you enjoy??
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We loved Milos but were only there 4 nights. It’s a pretty small island. Have you considered Naxos? We spent a week there and could have been happy staying for much longer. Stayed at a great Air BnB right on Playa for around $350 for 7 nights. Not fancy but well-located, safe and clean.
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10-09-2019, 04:41 PM
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#659
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,103
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scuba
We loved Milos but were only there 4 nights. It’s a pretty small island. Have you considered Naxos? We spent a week there and could have been happy staying for much longer. Stayed at a great Air BnB right on Playa for around $350 for 7 nights. Not fancy but well-located, safe and clean.
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Glad you loved Milos. Will plan to go eventually. Smaller is fine with us. Saves time running around. Will look into Naxos too.
One of the many appeals of the Greek isles, is the relatively low cost of food and lodging.
__________________
Living the dream...
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10-09-2019, 05:33 PM
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#660
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 7,438
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Santorini lodging isn't cheap is it?
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