Drugs from Canada

[AllDone]

At the risk of freaking people out here... In college I used to go down to Tijuana and buy a years supply of birth control pills. I had my prescription - but it wasn't covered under insurance and in the early 80's it was over $20/month... Which was outside my college student budget. I could get the exact same pill package for $2/month. The only issue was that many pharmacies wouldn't have a full 12 packs of my brand/dosage, so I'd have to go to more than one pharmacy. I had a couple friends who'd go down with me - we'd all come back with a years supply each. I did this for 3 years and didn't get pregnant - nor did my friends...

I think we were more at risk from the street tacos we'd eat, than from bad birth control pills.

It would be harder today... passports required.

Manufacturing tablets, packaging them in tamperproof packaging, printing boxes and package inserts and distributing small lots to pharmacies is a relatively expensive set of activities for something that sells for a few dollars.

Grinding up lawn clippings, stuffing them in gelatin capsules and slapping an exotic appearing label on the front of a bottle of "Ancient Herbal Remedy #3" is much cheaper and more lucrative. You want counterfeit? That's where counterfeit is.

 

[zinger1457]

It would be harder today... passports required.

The only issue may be getting a years supply, I believe you're limited to a 90 day supply when bringing prescription drugs into the US from Mexico. Some drugs that require a prescription in the US don't require one at a Mexico pharmacy but you'll definitely want a valid prescription to show BP when crossing back over or else it may end up in the trash can.

 

[JoeWras]

The problem isn't drugs from other countries. I hope not, because one of my locally purchased prescriptions was manufactured in India. The problem is unscrupulous actors who "cut" the drug, repackage, etc. And yeah, they can make the packaging look pretty legit.

The State of North Carolina claims to be one of the first to try to get ahead of this by creating a website where you can put your favorite online pharmacy in and check. This is a brand new initiative.

Verify Before You Buy

Verify your online pharmacy before you buy.

According to the FDA, 97% of online pharmacies are illegitimate and unsafe. Even experts have difficulty identifying a fake online pharmacy from its website alone. What looks like a discount online pharmacy from Canada or the U.S. could be a rogue website from anywhere in the world. Highly sophisticated criminal enterprises are utilizing malware, engaging in identity theft, and selling medicine that does not work, or worse, is dangerous to your health. Use our search tool to determine if your online pharmacy is certified and from a safe source.

 

[AllDone]

Here's a Canadian certifying group's list of pharmacies.

 

[Meadbh]

Well, that's interesting. The CIPA site (which is obviously an industry association) lists 66 "approved" or "accredited" sites, while several of the names I entered in the North Carolina site came up as "rogue" or "unapproved" sites. The Verify Before You Buy group has two member organizations that I suspect (but cannot prove) are funded by Big Pharma. Clearly, both groups have agendas, and they are not the same.

 

[JoeWras]

Well, that's interesting. The CIPA site (which is obviously an industry association) lists 66 "approved" or "accredited" sites, while several of the names I entered in the North Carolina site came up as "rogue" or "unapproved" sites. The Verify Before You Buy group has two member organizations that I suspect (but cannot prove) are funded by Big Pharma. Clearly, both groups have agendas, and they are not the same.

Agree. There are agendas. North Carolina has a pretty significant "Big Pharma" presence.

It is just another tool. I do like that it shows you the "whois" record. Based on whois alone, I would not visit many sites.

 

[Sunnymar]

At the risk of freaking people out here... In college I used to go down to Tijuana and buy a years supply of birth control pills. I had my prescription - but it wasn't covered under insurance and in the early 80's it was over $20/month... Which was outside my college student budget. I could get the exact same pill package for $2/month. The only issue was that many pharmacies wouldn't have a full 12 packs of my brand/dosage, so I'd have to go to more than one pharmacy. I had a couple friends who'd go down with me - we'd all come back with a years supply each. I did this for 3 years and didn't get pregnant - nor did my friends...

I think we were more at risk from the street tacos we'd eat, than from bad birth control pills.

It would be harder today... passports required.

I frequently buy medicine in Mexico. I know the pharmacies and still buy and keep a bottle of Cipro on hand. I rarely take it but find it easier to have on hand than go to a Dr in the USA to get a prescription when I want some. When traveling I take a bottle with me in case I get ill in an unknown foreign country. I've never had a problem bringing it to the USA, my current bottle was brought in by a Mexican friend coming to the USA. I don't know why but she brought me two big bottles (I only wanted one) but she got them in by plane.
BTW, I rarely use it, just keep it on hand.

 

[AllDone]

Agree. There are agendas. North Carolina has a pretty significant "Big Pharma" presence.

It is just another tool. I do like that it shows you the "whois" record. Based on whois alone, I would not visit many sites.

Yes, I thought that it seemed a little out of character for NC to be spending money on consumer protection. I'm more willing to trust Canada.

I buy an estrogen patch from Canada to control hot flashes. Patch medicines are expensive because, compared to tablets, they are very hard to formulate. The only way to counterfeit a patch would be to omit the active ingredient and for me that would be rapidly obvious. It also would be awfully slow to ship counterfeit drugs from wherever to Canada, repack them, and then ship them via Canadian mail to unsuspecting consumers My order arrives from BC in a week or so.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

The real problem I think is the Hysteria generated by the lobbyists of the Pharma companies. Here in the USA we seem to be more susceptible [-]gullable[/-] and respond/believe it a lot more than other countries do because of the mass advertising that is not always allowed elsewhere.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I also think that stopping all advertising for drugs would also bring prices down dramatically. This "Ask your Doctor If XYZ is right for you" should not be permitted at all based on something an actor told you on TV. The Cost of Advertising is tremendously high. In all the countries I have lived in during my life, this practice is only allowed in the US. But to do so would bring out the Pharma Lobbyists in force (as if they are not already) not to mention the Advertising lobby too.

 

[imoldernu]

Not specifically about drugs from Canada, but definitely germaine to saving money.
The article starts off with a statement that drug costs have increased annually by 10% since 2010. (If I did the math correctly, that works out to a compound interest total of nearly 200% in 7 years)


Tips to help save money on prescription drug costs

 

[AllDone]

Not specifically about drugs from Canada, but definitely germaine to saving money.
The article starts off with a statement that drug costs have increased annually by 10% since 2010. (If I did the math correctly, that works out to a compound interest total of nearly 200% in 7 years)


Tips to help save money on prescription drug costs

Yep.

Big Pharma is said to spend more money on market research than drug research too.

 

[JoeWras]

I also think that stopping all advertising for drugs would also bring prices down dramatically. This "Ask your Doctor If XYZ is right for you" should not be permitted at all based on something an actor told you on TV. The Cost of Advertising is tremendously high. In all the countries I have lived in during my life, this practice is only allowed in the US. But to do so would bring out the Pharma Lobbyists in force (as if they are not already) not to mention the Advertising lobby too.

One of the things that helped make our childhoods' carefree was lack of drug and lawyer commercials on TV. Things really changed after they were allowed.

 

[zinger1457]

Big Pharma is said to spend more money on market research than drug research too.

Not surprising since many of the drugs they come out with have very limited value or come with side effects that are worse then the cure.

 

[Just_Steve]

One of the things that helped make our childhoods' carefree was lack of drug and lawyer commercials on TV. Things really changed after they were allowed.

Sure, but the Marlboro Man was ok.

 

[Koolau]

One of the things that helped make our childhoods' carefree was lack of drug and lawyer commercials on TV. Things really changed after they were allowed.

Then again, one thing that helped my childhood be carefree was the Polio Vacine. I knew several kids for which its introduction was too late. Some died. Others still suffer. Of course, YMMV.

 

[Koolau]

Not surprising since many of the drugs they come out with have very limited value or come with side effects that are worse then the cure.

Interested to see the data on this. Maybe it slipped past the FDA.

Third truth on pharmaceuticals. Those without side effects are also those without therapeutic effects. Want to avoid side effects. Have your doc give you sterile normal saline solution for every ailment. You won't get any better, but you most likely won't have any side effects either. Oh, and don't let her inject it into you. Drink it instead. YMMV

 

[AllDone]

Then again, one thing that helped my childhood be carefree was the Polio Vacine. I knew several kids for which its introduction was too late. Some died. Others still suffer. Of course, YMMV.

+1

My parents, who remember polio, think the vaccine was one of the greatest things ever. I read through some 1950s medical journals with reports about polio vaccine testing. It was amazing to read the fizzy sense of excitement that couldn't help but show through the dry academic writing. It was kind of touching. Neither Dr. Salk nor Dr. Sabin patented their vaccines.

 

[Walt34]

Then again, one thing that helped my childhood be carefree was the Polio Vacine. I knew several kids for which its introduction was too late. Some died. Others still suffer. Of course, YMMV.

Yeah, I remember events like that. A girl who lived next door was in leg braces for years because of polio, and an aunt had a leg that was a couple of inches shorter than the other because of polio.

When the vaccines became available my parents made doggone sure all three of us kids got it. And while my father hated standing in lines as much as anyone, what stood out was that there wasn't a peep of complaint from him when we got the three doses of the Salk vaccine. As I recall they had to be about a week apart at the time so we had to go to the Jr. High School in the evening.

 

[travelover]

Yeah, I remember events like that. A girl who lived next door was in leg braces for years because of polio, and an aunt had a leg that was a couple of inches shorter than the other because of polio.

When the vaccines became available my parents made doggone sure all three of us kids got it. And while my father hated standing in lines as much as anyone, what stood out was that there wasn't a peep of complaint from him when we got the three doses of the Salk vaccine. As I recall they had to be about a week apart at the time so we had to go to the Jr. High School in the evening.

I had similar experiences when I was a kid. When I see people not vaccinating their kids I have to shake my head.

 

[sengsational]

The State of North Carolina claims to be one of the first to try to get ahead of this by creating a website where you can put your favorite online pharmacy in and check. This is a brand new initiative.

Verify Before You Buy

Looks like complete BS to me. I went in as a web site that wanted to be seen as legit, and basically they charge you to be considered legit...essentially a "protection racket" (you pay us and your business can thrive, otherwise people will see "rogue" in red).

As to the current straw-man discussion about how if you don't love the current sales and marketing practices of big pharma that means that you don't appreciate the successful drugs that save lives, make life better, etc...that discussion is just inflammatory and IMHO, not helpful.

Obviously we're all super thankful for the research and development that went on, not only in corporate R&D, but also, significantly, in the academic environment, that brought us and is bringing us life saving and life enhancing drugs. That is quite distinct from the greedy sales practices that US buyers have to deal with.

 

[Sunset]

You're getting drugs from other countries no matter where the pharmacy you buy them from is.

So true, my local pharmacy (the big name one) gave me a prescription and when I peeled off the label they stuck on it, I found out it was made in Ireland !!!!!

 

[Meadbh]

So true, my local pharmacy (the big name one) gave me a prescription and when I peeled off the label they stuck on it, I found out it was made in Ireland !!!!!

You shouldn't be surprised at that.

"The pharmaceutical industry in Ireland comprises a mix of international and local companies. Approximately 120 overseas companies have plants in Ireland including 9 of the 10 largest pharmaceutical companies in the world."

Contribution to the Irish Economy

 

[Meadbh]

Now this:

6 Canadians arrested in U.S. extradition request for allegedly selling fake cancer drugs online - Manitoba - CBC News

 

[audreyh1]

This 2013 newspaper article provides background on the internet pharmacy industry in Manitoba.

Bitter Pill: The rise and fall of Manitoba's Internet pharmacy pioneers - Winnipeg Free Press

Wow - that was quite a read. But also a long time ago and things have really changed since then I would think.