Should I buy prescriptions from Canada? This question is very common among patients who are on tight budgets but need to buy their doctor-prescribed medications to manage their health conditions.
Are you very familiar with how the US pharmaceutical industry works? If yes, you’ll surely agree with me that the prices of drugs are usually very high compared to other countries, such as Canada. This pricing issue happens due to many reasons. One of them is that the United States has several intermediaries in the pharmaceutical chain. These intermediaries are responsible for marking up the prices of drugs in the country.
So, should you order drugs directly from Canada? The simple answer is yes, as long as you put certain factors into consideration. A good factor you certainly want to consider is laws & regulations. Read on to discover what Northside Meds wants you to know before going ahead to buy drugs from Canada.
1. Why should you take this step?
One important factor you certainly want to consider before going ahead to buy drugs from Canada is “Why”. Why exactly should you buy prescription drugs from Canada instead of the United States? What goodies do you stand to gain from making this move?
- First, by buying drugs from other countries, such as Canada, you’ll get to save a lot of money for other things. It’s no more news that most drugs in the United States are usually more expensive than the same drugs from other places. In Canada, for example, the government has strict regulations regarding drug prices. This explains why buying drugs in Canada comes with cost-saving benefits.
- Another good thing about buying your prescription drugs from Canada is that it’s pretty easy to do. Yes, even if you reside in the US, you can conveniently order drugs directly from Canada and get them delivered quickly.
- If you’re the type that values your privacy, buying prescriptions from Canada is certainly for you. This is especially true if you feel embarrassed speaking about your health conditions.
2. Laws & Regulations
Of course, you need to factor in any restrictions associated with purchasing drugs from other countries.
- For instance, certain drugs, especially controlled medications, may not be approved for use in the US. Bringing in this type of drug is certainly against US laws & regulations. Any controlled drugs you’re buying only need to be for your personal use.
- Check the US FDA’s personal importation policy and be sure to meet its criteria before you go ahead to buy drugs from Canada.
- That’s not all; there’s a limit to the amount of prescription drugs you can bring to the US. According to our experts at Northside Meds, these drugs should be for a three-month supply (at most).
- Before you buy drugs from Canada, your healthcare provider needs to issue you a valid prescription note.
3. Safety
Safety is a very important factor to consider when trying to buy prescriptions from Canada. To avoid these issues, here are a few things you can do:
- Ensure to buy generic (or brand name) prescription drugs legally. Legally purchased drugs in Canada are approved by Health Canada. This regulator works the same way as the US FDA.
- Check and be sure the pharmacy selling the drugs is reliable and will never sell counterfeit or expired medicines.
- The right Canada Pharmacies should have a license and be strictly regulated.
- Furthermore, you can consider checking online reviews to better understand how people feel about the pharmacy of your choice.
- Lastly, stay away from any online pharmacies that don’t request doctor’s prescriptions for drugs.
