U.S. seniors bypass law, cross border to fill prescriptions

Houston Chronicle ^ | 6/8/03

[chicagolady]

What time does the next bus leave?
Is there room for 1 more?

[areafiftyone]

LOL - Actually I don't blame them. When my mother was alive I paid for her medicine and it was outrageous! I had to get two different antibiotics recently for my wisdome tooth, a pain killer and mouthwash and my co-pay on my insurance was $70.00 with my company insurance. I was so disgusted!

[Catspaw]

Go north. My in-laws have gone on bus tours to Canada to get their numerous prescriptions filled.

[areafiftyone]

wisdome=wisdom

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

This thread reads more like an advertisment than an article.I would make a great commercial!

[The South Texan]

Nuevo Progresso. Been going there all my life Park and walk across. All of the shops and the pharmancies are within six blocks of the bridge. People are friendly too unlike in some border towns.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

I =It

[TomGuy]

After paying $290 for 2 prescriptions last month, followed by an additional $220 three weeks later for a renewal and a third prescription, I'd take my chances with Mexican or Canadian if I could.

I've checked some of their prices on the internet. For ongoing maintenance medications, it is worth ordering out-of-country. On one prescription name, Canada was about 1/3 the price of US.

Most Canadian prices seem to be about 30 to 40% less than US; most Mexican prices seem to be 40 to 50% less, depending on whether generic or name brand.

[FreePaul]

There are a number of mail order web sites for ordering from foreign countries. I've ordered several prescriptions for others and one medication for a dog. Some don't even require prescriptions although those in Canada do. All were between one-half and one-third the cost in the U.S. Packages were sent direct to the user and came from Canada, Australia and Thailand. I'm thinking of ordering my prescriptions in the future. The United States prescription drug user is being ripped off.

[Mark]

Rep. Ron Wilson, D-Houston, gave recognition to this ingrained form of drug-running.

So this Democrat would have no problem with them buying cigarettes there too. Avoiding the taxes saves them money also.

[areafiftyone]

I don't have to take prescriptions on a regular basis but if I did I would do exactly what these Seniors are doing. They shouldn't have to pay these outrageous prices. I got to feel it first hand when my mom was alive when she couldn't afford to pay and I paid for her every month. If I have to use prescriptions as I get older (I pray I don't) I will probably do the same thing as these seniors!

[TomGuy]

So this Democrat would have no problem with them buying cigarettes there too. Avoiding the taxes saves them money also.

For the last 3 years, I bought (before I quit in January) cigs at the native store and avoided the ridiculous state taxes. Heck, if the natives would start a pharmacy and offer prices comparable to Canadian/Mexican, I'd sure take my business there.

On my prescriptions I got locally, I found one interesting thing. I got the initial 2 prescripts at one store and the refill/3rd prescript at another store in the same town. The refill was $10 higher at the second store. So, even within the same town, drug prices can vary drastically. Check around!

[TexasCowboy]

I made the trip to Progresso two weeks ago and went to the "Almost Free Pharmacy".
I buy my Prilosec over there at about a third of what it costs me here.
The Mexican Prilosec is just as effective as the American Prilosec.
The drug companies don't want people shopping over there because it takes away from their profit - pure and simple.

[areafiftyone]

Good for you. Since I live in NY I would probably have to get mine in Canada. But if they are good products - Heck why not!!

[Sonny M]

Most Canadian prices seem to be about 30 to 40% less than US; most Mexican prices seem to be 40 to 50% less, depending on whether generic or name brand.

Because Canada has a socialism based health care system, they buy the drugs in huge massive bulk. Since they do that, they can negotiate the prices down. They pass on those expenses by taxing the hell out of people.

[BnBlFlag]

I've done the same thing a time or two.

[Snowyman]

industry spokesman Grayson said. Also, prices are higher in the United States because that is where the drug companies recoup their costs for the research and development of new drugs, he said.

That's Baloney. I don't know about Mexico but drugs are not advertised in Canada and the pharmaceutical companies spend far more on advertising in the US than they do on R&D, which incidentally, is largely covered by tax incentives, out right grants and University research programs. And not all drugs are discovered and developed in the US

The US consumes 42% of the world's prescribed drugs, twice the Canadian consumption per person, and pays twice as much. The second highest net profit for industrial sectors was around 5-6%. For the pharmaceutical sector last year in the US profit was the highest , 18%.

[Dubya]

Can US residents purchase drugs from Canada?

Absolutely Yes. The FDA says US residents may import medications from outside the US provided certain conditions are met:

The product was purchased for personal use and does not exceed a 3 month supply.
The product is not for resale.
The intended use of the product is appropriately identified.
The patient seeking to import the product affirms in writing that it is for the patient's own use.
The patient provides the name and address of the doctor licensed in the US responsible for his or her treatment with the product.
The medication is not a controlled substance (sleeping pills, Valium, narcotics, etc.)
We not only meet these requirements but also the stringent Government regulations for the sale of prescription medications in Canada.

[Johnny Gage]

They do this in a big way at the arizona border too.

My folks were down there last winter. They met folks who save enough money on prescription costs to fund their trip back to arizona each winter.