Posted on 12/05/2025 6:13:15 AM PST by Pontiac
My wife went in to AFIB Tuesday morning for the first time. She went to the ER and was later moved to Intensive Care.
To make a long story short she has been put on a Butt Ton of drugs, one of which is Eliquis.
This drug should have been on the Generic Market years ago but for some reason is not.
The lowest price near us that I can find is about $550 for a 30 day supply.
This is forcing me to consider getting it from Canada by mail.
Looking briefly I see some pharmacies in Canada offering it for $60 for a 180 day supply.
I am seeking guidance from anyone with personal experience buying drugs from Canada and a suggested reliable pharmacy.
Getting killed on Linzess
On medicare
This is where my family member gets his Eliquis. https://www.canadianpharmacyking.com/HowToOrder.aspx
Thanks for that advice
I got a $10 copay card.
How long do they work?
It's E85.45 for 60 2.5mg tablets in Germany: here
I just cancelled a minor surgery because my care provider is fighting with my insurance company and wanted to reschedule for next year, which would mean repaying my deductible & out of pocket since I'm changing plans.
Now I'm considering just paying a few hundred bucks out of pocket my next trip to Europe instead of $3K here.
Americans are simply robbed blind by the health care system.
I’ve been using Maple Leaf Meds online out of canada for several years.
they can offer generics to most name brands that are not offered in USA
generally takes 3 weeks to receive 90 day Rx
very good service. highly recommend
https://www.mapleleafmeds.com/
PM’d ya.
Excellent.
I used to buy the generic for Shirts from the Canadian pharmacy. Half the price I paid here. Also used to buy robaxin 750 muscle relaxers for when my back acted up. No prescription required.
Thats what I did for a year, onlin pharmacies canada
https://www.onlinepharmaciescanada.com
W#as very happy and fast service, never a problem
Great idea.
Pradaxa, 150 mg, 180 tablets (twice daily), would be three months supply for 136.99
With all brotherly love:
# Stop drinking alcohol
# Stop eating/drinking anything with sugar or sweeteners
# Stop eating high carb/high sugar foods, especially by themselves (eg, bingeing on chips)
# Stop eating foods made with seed oils
# Stop eating processed meats
# Start walking 30 minutes/day
# Start a moderate weight lifting program 2x-3x/week, every joint, full range of motion
Bimini…..
GoodRx? Also, have you spoken to your doctor? Sometimes they can offer samples. I was thinking Eliquis offered a discount program?
Got 3 month supply from India for $100
My mother was on a whole slew of drugs - all ordered by mail from Canada.
“Look at Pradaxa as an alternative.”
There’s a generic of Pradaxa. What they want to charge him is obscene.
even better is cryoablation for pulmonary-vein isolation if the pulmonary veins are the source of the afib, which is the most common source of afib ... Watchman reduces stroke risk, but won’t restore normal sinus rhythm ...
Dr. Wilber Su, Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix electrophysiology director is one of the best in the world for cryoablation, a procedure in which substantial clinical experience is vital ...
A generic apixaban has been approved by the FDA, but not yet fully launched due to patent protection.
In 2019, FDA approved generics from Mylan and Micro Labs.
However, patent exclusivity prevents these generics from being sold widely until the patents expire or litigation outcomes change.
The main patents protecting Eliquis in the U.S. extend to 2026–2028 (depending on the specific patent).
Some countries do have generic apixaban available, due to different patent rules.
Examples include parts of Canada, India, and portions of Europe where patents expired earlier or were not granted.
alternatives Xarelto, Pradaxa are available...
and there are generic versions of each
talk to your doctor or your wifes doctor...
Eliquis (apixaban) has strong data showing:
Lower risk of major bleeding vs warfarin and sometimes vs other DOACs
Lower risk of gastrointestinal bleeding compared with Pradaxa or Xarelto
Strong outcomes for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation
Because of this, many clinicians consider Eliquis the safest overall DOAC for most patients.
So they often start with it even before checking cost.
Insurance companies often dictate which drugs are:
“Preferred”
Covered without prior authorization
Cheapest for the patient
Example:
A plan may cover Eliquis as preferred and make Pradaxa or generic rivaroxaban non-preferred, which can ironically make the “brand-name” cheaper for that specific patient.
Doctors may not know a patient’s specific coverage during the visit.
Doctors may be:
Unaware that generics exist
Unsure how broadly available they are
Concerned about pharmacy stock issues
Eliquis has been the market leader, so many default to familiarity.
Each anticoagulant has unique considerations:
Pradaxa (dabigatran)
Can cause more GI upset and more GI bleeding
Requires taking twice a day
Capsules must stay in original packaging or efficacy decreases
Has an available reversal agent, which some physicians like
Xarelto (rivaroxaban)
Must be taken with food for some doses
Once-a-day dosing, which patients may prefer
Slightly higher bleed risk in some analyses
Eliquis
Twice-a-day dosing
Best bleeding profile overall (especially in older adults)
Doctors weigh these differences, not just price.
Habit & guideline familiarity
Eliquis has become the “default” DOAC in clinical practice.
Doctors tend to stick with what they trust unless a patient raises concerns.
is it because patients don’t ask?
Partly — yes.
Many doctors don’t automatically talk about price unless the patient brings it up.
Reasons:
They may not know the exact out-of-pocket cost
Time pressure in appointments
Uncertainty about insurance differences
Historical assumption that DOACs are all expensive anyway
When patients ask about cost, doctors very often switch to a cheaper option—or involve pharmacy staff to find the lowest-cost drug.
At the other thing to check is to see if you’re a total out of pocket. If your wife was in the hospital for a period you may not have any more out-of-pocket costs this year
Retired cardiovascular physiologist/biophysicist. After 2nd idiopathic DVT am expecting lifetime on factorX anticoagulant.
Listen to your physicins, ESPECIALLY a hematologist.
I buy from Canada. Initial Rx through Walgreens for Elequis. Even with coupons, price as you indicated. Remaining 5 months of therapy with Apixaban manufactured in Canada and sourced from a pharmacy in Winnipeg.
2nd DVT episode last spring. Again, 1st Rx from Walgreens but immediately refilled from Canada. Now on second 90-day refill.
Cost WITH IMPORT DUTIES and shipping was approx $US325 I think for 180 5mg tabs. 1600 miles from home for traditional XMAS get-to-gether [since 11975] for surviving members of our PhD group so wihthout access to my detailed files but if you wish can try to use laptop to reconstruct details.
Delivering pharmacies prefer to use electronic payment - ie submit a cancelled check image or routing data. You WILL NEED a valid Rx that allows generic substitution if you choose Apixaban. Pharmacy will contact you first filling to confirm data and discuss contraindications. Costs apparently in to $100 range for 90-day supply if you allow filling with generic manufactured in India or Turkey. YMMV but not for me after lifetime working in biomed.
Was still nervous beforew 3rd purchase as email communications were sporadic and I did not know how the last shipmwnt with import duties assessed would be handled.
Each instance they supplied USPS tracking number.
Some Canadien pharmacies apparently settling up US offices now. If Trump’s plans come to fruition we shall see.
My wife does not want any foreign objects in her body.
Her father had a pacemaker but we all have our phobias.
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