Posted on 02/17/2010 1:30:47 PM PST by fatnotlazy
My insurance company has denied coverage for one of my meds. I am appealing the denial, but in the meantime, I need this medicine. I already priced the drug locallly -- about $200 for a 3-month supply without insurance coverage. Does anyone here use Canadian pharmacies for their prescriptions; if so, can you recommend one to me? If you have had bad experiences with Canadian pharmacies, I'd like to know about that too.
Thank you in advance, everyone!
Is there a generic available? If so, try Wal*Mart.
If not, check your insurance company’s appeals process. If necessary, you may be able to get a good deal buying directly from the drug company. Most have programs to help people who can’t afford them.
http://www.northwestpharmacy.com/Default.aspx?mid=bc15ec23f1314114bdb3506fd9a3e4f7
the above firm is reliable and has an easy to use web site. I don’t think I will confess to the crime of actually ordering from them without consulting my mouthpiece.
The Mexican alternative is here:
http://medsmex.com/store/home.php
There are “Canada Drug” retail outlets in many states which do NOT carry an inventory. I suggest you go to such a location, if one is in your area. They simply place orders and most of them require an actual prescription. Insurance, generally, will not pay for these retail purchases, which will be shipped from Canada to your home.
If you MUST go this route, I understand, but I suggest finding a local firm rather than just getting on the interned, if a local firm is available.
My mom recently came home from the hospital w/a Rx for a drug that Medicare part D and her secondary insurance denied payment for, and the cost would have been $2000 per month. I found it online at a Canadian pharmacy for around $250 per month. I asked the doctor if he had a problem with the quality of drugs that come out of Canada, and he didn’t seem to think there’d be a problem. But we were able to put off the decision for awhile, so we’ve taken no action yet.
Years ago we ordered a drug from a canadian pharmacy with no problems at all. It was a drug approved in Europe but still undergoing FDA testing here......I wish I could recall the name of the pharmacy but will keep checking to see if someone gives you one. If not perhaps I can dig back and find the name. But it was an easy process etc...if the drug you are needing is fairly new there won’t be a generic brand available yet....think a patent takes 7 years before a generic can be made............
Thnis drug is a generic...in fact, it is one of many drugs in its class and is the cheapest. The company says they won’t cover it because it is a specially formulated vitamin, not a drug. My contention is that this is not something you can buy off the shelf at the local supermarket or drugstore....you nedd a prescription for it... and that for that reason, it should be covered, at least partially. But as I said, I am appealing the decision; I just need the meds now.
Thank you for your advice about going to the drug company directly. It’s worth a shot.
I can only help by telling you that my mother had nothing but good experiences with the Canadian pharmacies she used. Honest, accurate and helpful.
It is a generic. Wal Mart doesn’t carry it; neither does Kmart or other “discount” pharmacies. I’ve gone to the usual chain pharmacies — Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS, the supermarket pharmacy...even s local mom-and-pop pharmacy. Walgreens actually had the best price, but it’s still a lot.
Anyway, thank you.
First do some research and see if you really need this drug, or if something else would do just as good a job or better. Doctors’ prescription-writing is largely driven by pharmaceutical companies’ marketing campaigns, meaning a lot of prescriptions are written for things that are a lot more expensive than alternatives that would do just as well. Example: Coumadin, which was heavily prescribed for many years, and eventually research showed that the vast majority of patients taking it would have done as well or better with plain old aspirin.
Do what you want, but in my view going the Canadian route amounts to becoming an accessory to extortion. I think our government needs to put an end to their thuggery by any means necessary.
There used to be a guy who came around to our local supermarket...he represented at least one Canadian pharmacy. He would take the orders, send them in and deliver the meds when they came in. I asked at the market if he was still around. No. He was caught and told to cease and desist, or he’d wind up in jail.
Check info at www.familywize.org to see if you can use the prescription drug discount card there. It covers all prescription drugs. United Way is involved with it.
Thank you for your input. Believe me, if I didn’t really need this med, I wouldn’t go this route. I may still try to get it here by some other method. But if I can’t get it here at a reasonable price, I may have no other alternative.
Some stores have generics on the cheap, etc. ... but $66 a month isn’t that bad. My wife pays $40 a month for a prescription that is covered.
SnakeDoc
I've got insurance that helps now but at the time I didn't, and paying Walmart prices would have wiped out over half my retirement check.
If they refuse to allow your shipment you may be out of luck on getting your money back.
I’ve ordered from several different Canadian on-line pharmacies. Two advantages: the Canadian price is often better, brand vs. brand and generic vs. generic. Also, drugs seem to go generic sooner outside of the US. I was able to order simvastatin (Zocor) from Canada for several years before it went generic here, for about 1/4 the US price for brand Zocor. The same is now true for Ranexa, available brand-only in the US but already available as generic “ranolazine” in Canada for about 1/4 the price of the US brand product. Try www.canadapharmacy.com; I’ve used them and several others. Plan on about four to five weeks for delivery, however.
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