Now Legal To Buy Canada Prescription Drugs Cautiously

information, Canada Drugs, Medicare, MedicaidWow great new from the US Senate.  They passed a bill making it legal to purchase prescription drugs from Canada over the Internet here in the USA. Great news for Part D participants and not such good news for Big Pharma.  But if you are going purchase on-line from Canada - BE CAREFUL.

For Medicare Part D enrollees who haven't purchased from Canada before, and are looking for ways to save and stay out of the "do nut" hole, you can SAVE.  We have found that some drugs under our Part D are actually cheaper than the co-pay.

Be Careful - Be Cautious

Like anything, there are numerous scams out there on the Internet and you shouldn't say, "oh, that's a great price, I'll buy from them."  Canada has regulations just like the United States.

One such organization in Canada is CIPA - Canadian International Pharmacy Association.  Their website is http://www.ciparx.ca/.  Before you purchase any prescription from Canada go to this site and verify they are licensed by this organization.  Currently they have listed numerous sites that are fraudulent.  Below is the consumer safety information from CIPA for purchasing drugs from Canada over the Internet.

1.  Identify Canadian Pharmacy Filling Prescription:

  • The U.S. patient should know the Canadian pharmacy's name, address, phone number, license number, and province where the pharmacy is licensed.
  • This information should be clearly identified on the web page, on registration forms or provided by affiliate U.S. organizations.
  • Deal with a CIPA pharmacy, but be aware that some use the CIPA seal fraudulently.  To be certain, go to Verify Membership and enter the name of the pharmacy you are considering.

2.  Contact the Canadian provincial pharmacy regulatory agency:

  • To ensure that the pharmacy is a legitimate Canadian pharmacy the patient can contact the provincial pharmacy regulatory agency.   Alberta - http://www.pharmacists.ab.ca,  British Columbia- http://www.bcpharmacists.org,  Manitoba- http://www.mpha.mb.ca.
  • The provincial pharmacy regulatory agency sets standards of practice and regulates pharmacy from a patient safety perspective.
  • If contacting a regulatory agency, be sure to mention the filling pharmacy name that will be found on the CIPA member's site.
  • A U.S. patient has the same rights as a Canadian patient to file a complaint with a provincial pharmacy regulatory agency.

3.  Make Sure Your Canadian Pharmacy Follows the Rules

  • The Canadian pharmacy should require a prescription from the patient's U.S. physician.
  • The Canadian pharmacy should obtain both demographic and medical information from the U.S. patient.
  • The Canadian pharmacy should have a Canadian physician review patient information before authorizing a Canadian prescription.
  • The U.S. patient should have access to a Canadian pharmacist for the purpose of medication counseling and drug information.

CIPA advises -Never Order Prescription Drugs From A Site That Tells You It Will Ship Your Order Without Requiring A Prescription.

The next place you want to check is PharmacyChecker.com. The Pharmacy Checker Verification Program was established in 2003 to help consumers find qualified online pharmacies. The Pharmacy Checker Seal indicates that a website markets prescription drugs dispensed from a pharmacy in good standing.

Please be careful.

--Mary Jane Stern

3 Responses

  1. Did you know the State of Nevada licenses Canadian Pharmacies and any US citizen can safely order medications at significant discounts up to 85% off of US retail prices.
  2. You can buy them with total confidence and get the same quality you get from brick and mortar pharmacy because they are completely safe. All of the drugs found on an online Canadian pharmacy are dispensed only from licensed pharmacists.
  3. joy
    You have to look at the credibility of the online pharmacy like for how many years they have been serving people, from whom they supply and verification seals if there. Look if hey sell branded generics. You can have a look at one such reliable online pharmacy I use ...<a>International Drug Mart</a>
  4. [...] Now Legal To Buy Canada Prescription Drugs Cautiously Wow great new from the US Senate.  They passed a bill making it legal to purchase prescription drugs from Canada over the Internet here in the USA. [...]