by Gabriel Levitt, President, PharmacyChecker.com and Prescription Justice | Jan 16, 2014 | Advocacy, Drug Importation, Online Pharmacies
The Philadelphia Inquirer continues to cover the issue of high drug prices in the U.S. with an article about Americans purchasing medication from international online pharmacies. The “Ins, outs of getting meds overseas” provides useful information for consumers, most importantly that Americans ordering medication internationally should only do so from credentialed online pharmacies and that the FDA, despite technical prohibitions on personal drug importation, does not prosecute Americans for doing so.
I was particularly intrigued by the remarks of one physician when asked about his patients buying medication from international online pharmacies. He sheds a lot of light on two issues: 1) the serious health crisis surrounding Americans not adhering to prescriptions (not taking their meds) because of high drug costs, and 2) the fundamental difference between online pharmacies that require a prescription and those that don’t. In describing his conversation with cardiologist David Becker, journalist Paul Jablow writes:
When patients ask him to give them a written prescription rather than sending the scripts electronically to a pharmacy, he says he assumes they’re buying overseas from a reputable pharmacy, and “I have no problem with that.” What concerns him more, he says, are the patients who come to him and say they’ve been neglecting their medications for months.
While we would strongly caution a consumer against buying prescription drugs from an online pharmacy that was not verified by an experienced credentialing organization, the doctor’s assumption of safety is somewhat warranted. That’s because, unlike Americans risking their health by seeking medications online without a prescription from rouge online pharmacies, his patients have real prescriptions. Prescription requirement is a very strong indication of, but not necessarily a guarantee of, an online pharmacy’s safety. Dr. Becker is apparently aware of this and his greatest concern is where the focus of more healthcare professionals needs to be: drug affordability.
Tagged with: Philadephia Inquirer
by Gabriel Levitt, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com and Sam Werbalowsky, Pharmacychecker.com | Jan 10, 2014 | Drug Importation, Drug Prices, Generic drugs
Americans are used to high drug prices — at least for brand-name medications, which are often five times more expensive in the U.S. than in other countries. Conversely, Americans are used to low-cost generics, which are often cheaper here than internationally. Unfortunately, the U.S. generic pharmaceutical market is out of whack! Generic drug prices have begun rapidly rising over the past few months…
And rapidly rising can mean a price increase of 6,000%, as reported by recent articles in the Huffington Post, Washington Times, and The People’s Pharmacy. Here’s an almost unbelievable fact: the brand-name drug is often much less expensive – if you shop at an international online pharmacy.
So, why such drastic increases? The People’s Pharmacy article attributes the increases to three factors. First, consolidation among generic manufacturers means less competition among drug makers; forty-four percent of all generic drug revenue goes to just three companies. Second, companies are discontinuing the manufacture of certain drugs leading to drug shortages. Finally, FDA enforcement actions have shut down certain manufacturers because of poor manufacturing practices. With reduced supply and competition, it’s no wonder that prices are increasing.
So if you’re finding your generic medication rising in price, how can you find it for less…much less? Try the brand! I’ve identified some generic drugs below that have significant savings when the brand is purchased from abroad.
Prices for Generic Medications
| Drug |
Cash Price* |
International Online Pharmacy Price (Brand) |
Potential Savings (generic) |
| Clomipramine—75 mg, 90 pills |
$985 |
$121.50+
(Anafranil) |
88% |
| Duloxetine – 60 mg, 100 pills |
$734 |
$100++
(Cymbalta) |
86% |
| Doxycycline Hyclate — 100 mg, 100 pills |
$617 |
$251.21
(Vibramycin) |
59% |
*Cash price from local pharmacy in New York City. International Online Pharmacy Prices from lowest price on PharmacyChecker.com
+ Price calculated from 100 pills
++Price calculated from 84 pills
Tagged with: Anafranil, Clomipramine, Cymbalta, Doxycycline, Duloxetine, Huffington Post, The New York Times, The People's Pharmacy, Vibramycin
by PharmacyChecker.com | Oct 31, 2013 | Drug Importation, Drug Prices, Online Pharmacies
The final post in our weekly series identifying prescription drugs manufactured in America and their prices.
Urocit-K (potassium citrate) is a medication used to prevent gout and kidney stones, as well as problems caused by kidney disease. Despite being made in the U.S., where it is also available as a generic, prices for Urocit-K are lower abroad than they are in U.S. pharmacies. Ninety tablets (10meq) of brand-name Urocit-K are $145.98 at a New York City Rite-Aid, and the generic is $124.08 at the same pharmacy. From an international online pharmacy, 90 tablets of Urocit-K are only $56.70. That’s a 61% savings!
There are hundreds if not thousands of medications made in America that are sold for much lower prices elsewhere. We hope this series opened a window of light for Americans who are looking for affordable medication or interested in prescription drug manufacturing and their prices.
Tagged with: American Made Prescriptions Are Cheaper Abroad, Urocit-K
by PharmacyChecker.com | Oct 25, 2013 | Drug Importation, Drug Prices, Online Pharmacies
A weekly series identifying prescription drugs manufactured in America and their prices.
Singulair 4 mg oral granules (montelukast) are used to treat asthma in pediatric patients. Brand-name Singulair is manufactured in the U.S. by Merck, but it is available for much lower prices in other countries. Brand-name Singulair from a verified international online pharmacy is even cheaper than the generic here! At a New York City pharmacy, 90 units of Singulair costs $731.99 and the generic is $458.99. From a PharmacyChecker.com approved international pharmacy, it costs only $176. That’s a 76% savings.
Tagged with: American Made Prescriptions Are Cheaper Abroad, asthma, Singulair
by PharmacyChecker.com | Oct 23, 2013 | Drug Importation, Drug Prices, Personal Drug Importation
Buying medication from international online pharmacies received prime attention today in a New York Times article called, “As Drug Costs Rise, Bending The Law Is One Remedy.” The article highlights the prohibitive costs of drugs in the U.S. and also that buying medication online from abroad is a necessary lifeline. And it’s safe, too. Stephen Barrett, M.D., founder of Quack Watch, told the New York Times that he uses PharmacyChecker.com to choose online pharmacies.
Personally importing medication is technically “bending the law” as the New York Times reports (and as PharmacyChecker communicates on its website), but the federal government permits it to the extent that over 99% of international prescription orders reach customers. Furthermore, the FDA states that its enforcement and investigative work is focused on illegal wholesale importation and it has never prosecuted someone for buying medication from Canada or elsewhere for their own use. The FDA has rightfully shutdown rogue online pharmacies but never a reputable online pharmacy, such as those approved in the PharmacyChecker.com program.
Elisabeth Rosenthal, the author of the New York Times article, is responsible for an excellent on-going series about the relatively high cost of healthcare in the U.S. compared to other countries, and what Americans are doing to make sure they get the treatments they need. She’s written about the cost of colonoscopies, pregnancy, joint replacement, and medications. When it comes to medication, the problem is of epic proportions with tens of millions of Americans going without medication due to cost. Hopefully this reporting will encourage our leaders, both at the state and federal levels, to make it even easier for Americans to buy medication from Canada and other countries.
Tagged with: New York Times, Stephen Barrett
by PharmacyChecker.com | Oct 18, 2013 | Drug Importation, Drug Prices, Online Pharmacies
A weekly series identifying prescription drugs manufactured in America and their prices.
Pulmicort (budesonide) respules are used to treat asthma in children ages 12 months to 8 years. Pulmicort is manufactured in the U.S. by AstraZeneca. Both the brand name and generic versions (only available for some strengths) are expensive in the U.S. The brand version costs $698 for 60 .25mg/2ml respules, and the generic isn’t much cheaper at $530. Believe it or not, brand-name Pulmicort is only $117 when ordered from a verified international online pharmacy: that’s 83% less than the same medication sold here! Parents of kids with asthma can breathe much more easily at these prices.
Tagged with: American Made Prescriptions Are Cheaper Abroad, asthma, Pulmicort
