May 16, 2010
Tulsa World
For about 15 years, she has been buying prescription medications for herself and her husband by mail order from Canada. "For the savings," Miller says.
The 77-year-old Tulsa woman already saves at least $125 a month, and the pharmacy now offers free shipping.
Miller is one of more than 1 million Americans who purchase their name-brand drugs from pharmacies north of the border, where government price controls keep costs low.
Because the recent federal health-care reform didn't address rising prescription drug prices, more Americans are expected to buy from Canadian pharmacies, said Tim Smith, general manager of the Canadian International Pharmacy Association in Manitoba.
"I certainly see there will be growth," he said. "The Canadian standard is to make sure that medication is affordable."
Importing prescription drugs into the U.S. is illegal, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration generally overlooks the purchase of small amounts for personal use with the exception of controlled substances.
In Oklahoma alone, more than 14,000 people purchase prescriptions through CIPA member pharmacies, Smith said. Those Oklahomans pay 50 percent to 80 percent less for many name-brand pharmaceuticals, he said.
About 75 percent of all prescription drugs dispensed in the U.S. last year were generic, according to IMS Health, a health-care information company. Generic drugs generally are cheaper in the U.S. than both brand-name and generic versions in Canada, FDA analysts say.
Avoid "rogue" pharmacies
Sales of prescription drugs via the Internet are skyrocketing, even from online pharmacies in India and other countries. Because of that, there is greater risk that consumers may get counterfeit drugs instead of the real thing, the FDA says.
Sales of counterfeit drugs are rising much faster than those of legitimate drugs and are expected to reach $75 billion globally this year, according to the nonprofit group, Center for Medicine in the Public Interest.
"You don't know what you're getting for sure," said Jeremy Johnson, a clinical pharmacist and assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy in Tulsa.
Americans can feel confident buying prescription drugs in the U.S. because of rigorous FDA testing and manufacturing standards.
Cindy Hamilton, chief compliance officer for the Oklahoma Pharmacy Board, agreed.
"It's a little risky," she said. And if you have a problem with a foreign pharmacy, the board can't provide Oklahoma consumers any relief, Hamilton said.
"We don't have any way to discipline them or take action against them," she said.
Smith said that buying from Canadian pharmacies is just as safe because their regulations are comparable to FDA standards, an assertion supported by a study by Illinois' Office of Special Advocate for Prescription Drugs.
"Our member pharmacies do not fill a prescription without receiving it through the mail," Smith said. "That's a significant safety for ourselves and our consumers."
Smith's organization warns that only pharmacies that carry the Canadian International Pharmacy Association certified seal are considered legitimate. Even then, he urges consumers to verify the pharmacy is a CIPA member through the group's website.
"Americans deserve to have affordable safe prescriptions, and that's what we'd like to see for everybody," he said.
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