Brand Name Crestor: Made in Puerto Rico under FDA’s regulations.
Rosuvastatin is now available in U.S. pharmacies as a generic but you can get Crestor 10mg, the brand version, 94% cheaper online. To put some flesh and bones, dollars and sense (pun intended) to this percentile: Ninety pills of generic rosuvastatin cost a whopping $795 at a Walgreens in Brooklyn, NY, but 90 pills of brand name Crestor is $45.65 at a low-cost international online pharmacy, one that is verified by PharmacyChecker.com.
What about using a prescription discount card to buy generic Crestor? Drug price comparison company GoodRx offers a coupon to be used at Rite Aid Pharmacy for a price of $329.52 – still more than seven times the price to get Crestor from an online pharmacy.
Care to know where these drugs are made? It may surprise you.
The generic rosuvastatin sold in U.S. pharmacies is made in Malta (a small country in Europe) by a company called Arrow Pharm. The brand name Crestor sold in U.S. pharmacies is made in Germany by Corden Pharma Gmbh.
Pictured above, the brand name Crestor sold by some of the international online pharmacies in our program is made by Astra Zeneca’s subsidiary in Puerto Rico, dispensed and shipped by an international pharmacy, one that is licensed in Mauritius (a small island nation in the Indian Ocean) and inspected by PharmacyChecker.com.
In addition to the great savings, there’s a great lesson to be learned here about the global nature of pharmaceutical manufacturing, pricing and distribution. The brand Crestor and generic rosuvastatin that is sold at your local U.S. pharmacy is not made by AstraZeneca but by contract manufacturers in foreign plants.* The brand Crestor you can buy from an international online pharmacy at a huge discount is made by AstraZeneca in Puerto Rico, which is a U.S. territory that is subject to U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturing regulations.
Oh, the irony.
*IMPORTANT NOTE: these foreign plants are registered establishments with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as is the AstraZeneca plant in Puerto Rico.
You should be careful while taking rosuvastatin, because it interacts with many other drugs, like my Inclusig, it’s package leaflet even explicitly states to inform a doctor if I take it (http://rxed.eu/en/i/Iclusig/5/). Here’s what else it interacts with: http://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-76701/rosuvastatin-oral/details#interactions. It’s not a complete list but if you search for rosuvastatin interactions you will find more. Also watch out for other statins while on rosuvastatin!
I am paying more for celecoxib then I payed for celebrex! It seems it varies from pharmacy to pharmacy. I am truly afraid to get it outside the U.S. A. Why is there no regulation within the states? And where can I get the cheapest price?
Hi Loretta –
I know it’s frustrating to find affordable medication in the U.S. and Americans are often not getting the best advice from trusted authorities. Why are you afraid to buy medication outside the U.S.? The FDA does not regulate medication sold in pharmacies outside the U.S. but licensed pharmacies in other countries sell many of the same medications sold here at a much lower price and are regulated where they operate. We are not a regulator but we verify online pharmacies to help consumers identify the safest affordable options.
You can obtain brand name Celebrex at a very low price from an international online pharmacy in our program. You can choose your strength here and compare prices: http://www.pharmacychecker.com/brand/celebrex-prices.
I would like to hear more about why you wrote you are “truly afraid”. Feel free to share. My fear is that too many Americans are being scared away from affordable medication available outside the U.S.
Gabrial
How can I get international prescriptions written in the US by my Doctor? Do the on line pharmacy need paperwork or do I just or it.
Will US. Customes seize my prescription drugs due to import controls?
Hi Doug –
The prescription you receive from your doctor or other provider, the one that you would use at a local pharmacy, is the same one you’ll need if you order from a PharmacyChecker-approved international online pharmacy.
Under Federal law, Customs could seize the order but we’ve heard that that happens less than 1% of the time. In the event that your medication is refused import and you receive a letter from the FDA about it, you can defend your order by submitting a testimony letter to the FDA. Prescription Justice, a non-profit organization that I founded provides guidance on how to draft the letter: http://www.pjag.org/reclaim/.
For more on regulations, see http://www.pharmacychecker.com/us-pharmacy-regulations.asp.
amlodipine besylate tabs 2.5 mg 1 tab daily 90 day supply (norvasc)
atorvastatin calcium tabs 20mg ” (lipitor)
losartan potassium hydrochlorothiozide tab 50-12.5 ” (hyzaar)
metoprolol succinate er tab 25mg ” (toprol)
torsemide tab 10 mg or 25mg
myrbetriq 50mg
zyrtex 10mg
fluticasone proponate 50 mcg nasal spray
azestaline hydrochloride nasal spray
how can I ;purchase these drugs?
You can compare prices on wwww.pharmacycheker.com and find verified online pharmacies.
Most of the pharmacies listed get terrible reviews in regard to customer service and delivery. It would be very helpful to get the most current updates concerning the companies listed on the site.
Hi Adele – Updating our consumer reviews to note the most recent ones first is on our list of projects. Please note that it’s not uncommon for consumers to vent, fairly, when they received poor services.
I have to start on Rouvastatin 5mg. I’m not sure I’m comfortable getting it from MALTA AS I WONDER DO THESE DRUGS HAVE AN FDA APPROVAL AND A NATIONAL DRUG CODE IN ORDER TO GET IN TO THE UNITED STATES. I DON’T DO SO WELL WITH MANY GENERIC DRUGS AND AM VERY CAREFUL TO FIND OUT WHERE THEY ARE MANUFACTURED. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. THANKS
Hi Betty, Thanks for joining the conversation. The version of rosuvastatin sold in the U.S. is manufactured in Malta and approved by the FDA. The brand-name drug, Crestor, is manufactured in Puerto Rico.
I checked and it says Rosuvastatin is produced in India. Every time I take a generic from India I get deathly sick So now I will not take a pill that I desperately need Why can we not produce our own medications right here in United States ????
Hi Patricia– We found Rosuvastatin packages indicating that it’s made in India, New York or New Jersey (https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/search.cfm?labeltype=all&query=ROSUVASTATIN&pagesize=20&page=1). I suggest working with your doctor and pharmacist to get the medication you desire if you are wary of Indian-manufactured meds. Keep in mind that 70% of the medication you buy at your local U.S. pharmacy is made abroad. Indian medications sold to Americans are generally of high quality, whether purchased at a U.S. pharmacy or from a PharmacyChecker-verified pharmacy in India. Read our recent Ask PC answer: https://www.pharmacychecker.com/ask-pc/are-indian-pharmacies-really-safe-the-prices-are-so-much-lower/
Sorry, not all India/China drugs are created equal.
I’ve had multiple generic versions of Crestor 10 mg filled, the last two causing nausea. Previous version was OK. UNFORTUNATELY, I didn’t write down which manufacturer worked OK.
Now I have to start keeping track of reactions to EACH manufacturer and country of origin that I get filled, as brand is cost-prohibitive, and CVS always goes to the cheapest drug available.
We in the US shouldn’t have to do this. I’ve been doing this for years as china and India drugs are not always effective or minus side effects on a consistent basis.
Lucia, WHICH manufacturer makes generic Crestor in New York and New Jersey? Usually, that is a distribution or main office location.
Hi CP —
Here is a sample of the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture generic Crestor (rosuvastatin):
Lek Pharmaceuticals in Slovenia
MSN Laboratories in India
Sunshine Lake Pharma in China
Changzhou Pharmaceutical Factory in China
Sciegen Pharmaceuticals in New York
Aurolife Pharma in New Jersey
According to:
https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/search.cfm?labeltype=all&query=ROSUVASTATIN&pagesize=20&page=2
Just wanted your thoughts on China cheap way of drug making?
Hi Thomas –
Many of the active pharmaceutical ingredients that go into finished drug products are manufactured in China. Whether you’re in the U.S., the UK, Turkey or Saudi Arabia, there’s a good chance the medicine you have purchased contains APIs from China. I’m aware that the U.S. FDA and other drug regulators have cited serious problems with manufacturing of these APIs in China, but also in India – and sometimes in higher income countries, too, like the U.S. Clearly, medicine in highly regulated markets suffer from these problems but are still of high quality and should be trusted. In other words, just because we need to improve the system, doesn’t mean you can’t trust the medicine you’re getting from verified and regulated sources.
When it comes to medicines purchased online from outside your country, there are greater risks due to the prevalence of rogue online pharmacies. Sticking to PharmacyChecker-accredited international online pharmacies vastly mitigates those risks because you can easily obtain medicine from a regulated and licensed pharmacy.
I have had numerous problems with the generic form of Crestor. brand name with Astra Zeneca on it had reduced problems a great deal. how do you know when it is actually a product from Astra Zeneca and not from India, Island nations unheard of, or what you are actually getting?? this is very frustrating to try and sort out. I have been on every statin on the market, Liver enzymes go sky high. Crestor is the only statin I can tolerate but insurance will never pay for brand name when on Medicare and private insurance both!! side effects to generic is making me afraid to continue down that path. Pain it is causing is not worth using it. where is a legal place to obtain brand name and how do you know what it is??
Hi Karen– The pharmaceutical supply chain is often both complicated and lacking in transparency. In order to make sure exactly where your Crestor is manufactured, you will have to inquire about your specific order of medication. To do this, you can ask the pharmacy dispensing your medication. We require pharmacy websites accredited and monitored by PharmacyChecker to ensure that the patient has access to a pharmacist for consultation. During these consultations, we encourage you to inquire as to where your specific medication is manufactured and dispensed. Most pharmacies have a “Contact Us” page on their websites, which also typically includes their business hours. Some pharmacies also have a “Live Chat” option allowing you to ask questions while on the pharmacy’s website.
Therefore, I was prescribed Crestor and I bought some at the pharmacy and on the package it states: Crestor 10 mg, film Kapli tablet made by AstraZeneca. It’s unusual in that it’s in a gold foil. Do you think it’s safe to use.
Hi Sarah – I’m confused. Where did you buy the Crestor? At a local pharmacy or onilne? If you believe a drug you purachased is not the real thing then do not take it. Call the pharmacy and raise your concern. If you purchased it online from a foreing pharmacy the packaging may be different from what you’re used to. You could email PharmacyChecker at info@pharmacychecker.com and send a picture of the product. They can try and get you more answers.