Non-US mail order pharmacies

[Gazpacho]

Does anyone have experience using mail order pharmacies to get US prescriptions filled in Canada or another country? I simply can't afford one of my medications, and insurance won't cover it because it's an off label use. They cover cheaper drugs used off label, but not this expensive drug.

There are tons of websites, some of which must be fraudulent.

Can anyone recommend some legitimate online Canadian or other foreign pharmacies?

 

[Deleted member 1204]

Isn't that illegal?

 

[AxelAnnie]

I used one and it was perfectly great.

 

[agalisgv]

Isn't that illegal?

Yes, I believe so. Lots do it, though.

 

[snoopy]

Did you mention this to your doctor? There are deals on drugs these days because manufacturers know most people can't afford list prices. But the deals aren't publicized so you have to poke around. My doc sent me to a mail order pharmacy in New York that had more reasonable prices.

 

[Oreo]

There are deals on drugs these days because manufacturers know most people can't afford list prices.

That's true. Go on the manufacturer's website and see if they offer anything. I did that with some ridiculously priced meds my elderly dementia-ed mother had to take.

Personally, I've gone over the border to Mexico for over twenty years to buy migraine medication for myself. Reckoned I've saved thousands and thousands of dollars by doing that. It might be worth a road trip to you if you live near the Canadian or Mexican border.

 

[Gazpacho]

Isn't that illegal?

Yes, I believe so. Lots do it, though.

Based on this page and others I've read, it's technically illegal but tacitly condoned for personal prescriptions of non-controlled substances.

Did you mention this to your doctor? There are deals on drugs these days because manufacturers know most people can't afford list prices. But the deals aren't publicized so you have to poke around. My doc sent me to a mail order pharmacy in New York that had more reasonable prices.

That's true. Go on the manufacturer's website and see if they offer anything. I did that with some ridiculously priced meds my elderly dementia-ed mother had to take.

Personally, I've gone over the border to Mexico for over twenty years to buy migraine medication for myself. Reckoned I've saved thousands and thousands of dollars by doing that. It might be worth a road trip to you if you live near the Canadian or Mexican border.

Yeah, I got a $200 coupon that brings my monthly cost, if I took it as directed, to around $1100 USD I don't qualify for the low income assistance program, and because it's off label and expensive, my insurance will not cover it, period. My doctor said some other insurance plans cover it, but he's never had success with my insurance plan. I talked twice with the manufacturer about other possible discounts. There is nothing.

The online Canadian pharmacy quotes have ranged from ~ $700-1450 CAD (~$500-1050 USD). $500 USD still unaffordable, but I hope not to have to take it more than 3 months. I also hope to be able to stretch it out by taking smaller doses; my doctor said that not everyone needs the full dose and many actually do better on a smaller dose.

The fact that there is such a large range of quotes leads me to suspect that there are fraudulent pharmacies among them. The lowest priced one is a legitimate physical pharmacy based in British Columbia, but two things make me hesitant. The first is that their website worked fine on my phone, but when I try to access it on the computer, it triggered a malware message. The second is that their online pharmacy is registered in both Canada and Mauritius. The highest priced pharmacy, which is almost the same price as I would pay in the United States, also triggered a malware message on my computer (but not phone).

 

[Oreo]

Gazpacho, I'm sorry you're in the position to have to deal with this garbage. You're probably not the only one out there who is concerned about fraudulent online pharmacies. I'd scour through the forums online and see what others are saying. As long as you're not looking for a controlled medication, you shouldn't have a problem buying the drug in another country.

Failing the Canadian mail order option, I'd call up a pharmacy at the nearest Mexican border city from where you live, see if they carry it, and then I'd get take my passport, get in the car, take the bus, or whatever, and go pay them a visit. If you've got a doctor's prescription, you're okay. It's definitely worth it if you can save thousands of dollars.

When Tijuana was going through a dangerous phase several years back, I had friends bringing me migraine medication from France, Turkey, and Thailand. No way am I going to buy medication in this country and add to the massive profits of the pharmas. As for my mother's dementia medications, the directors of the memory care place where she was said they couldn't administer them if I brought them in from the outside. We had to pay over $3000/month until I got her on Medicare Part D, but then she passed away.