by Gabriel Levitt, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com and Sam Werbalowsky, Pharmacychecker.com | Nov 12, 2013 | Drug Safety, Online Pharmacies
“Is it safe to order prescription drugs from online pharmacies in Canada?”
Since prescription drug prices are much lower in Canada and other countries than in the U.S., Americans frequently ask this question. The New York Times’ Well Blog provides a simple and well-written answer that helps consumers find safe international online pharmacies that require a prescription and protect your privacy.
The answer to the question is, of course, yes, as long as the medications are regulated and dispensed from licensed pharmacies. The article “Ask Well: Buying Cheaper Drugs Online” notes that there are thousands of rogue sites pretending to be safe Canadian pharmacies. To avoid these rogue sites, simply shop from credentialed online pharmacies, including those listed on PharmacyChecker.com.
Tagged with: New York Times, Well Blog
by PharmacyChecker.com | Nov 4, 2013 | Advocacy, Drug Prices, Personal Drug Importation
Last week on the Leonard Lopate Show on WNYC public radio, Elisabeth Rosenthal of the New York Times talked about the high cost of medications in America and how Americans genuinely need foreign pharmacies to afford their prescribed medication. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about five million Americans personally import medication. Many search online to do so and must avoid scams and bad pharmacies. When asked how consumers can know what they are getting online, Ms. Rosenthal said, “That’s the concern FDA has about allowing imports…So you have to be a little careful about where you buy from. There’s something called PharmacyChecker.com, which vets overseas pharmacies, which many people have told me is very useful.”
We’re very pleased that highly respected media outlets and journalists are covering the health crisis caused by drug prices, informing the public of personal drug importation’s role as a lifeline for Americans, and discussing the need for changes to U.S. laws.
Tagged with: Elisabeth Rosenthal, Leonard Lopate, New York Times, WNYC
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
