Save Money Using Canadian Internet Pharmacies

Several of my patients have asked about the option of using Canadian Internet pharmacies for the purpose of reducing the cost of their medications. According to a recent study in Annals of Internal Medicine, patients who used these pharmacies saved about 25% on the cost of their medications. This study compared the costs of 44 brand name medications purchased at 12 Canadian Internet Pharmacies to those purchased online at large US retail pharmacies such as Walgreens, Rite-Aid, and CVS. Generic medications were not evaluated.

This post is not meant to endorse sending our patients to Canada for purchase of medications. It is an objective response to a question that I have been asked. This study does not address the the probability of errors which may occur with ordering prescriptions online nor the concern regarding the authenticity of the medications obtained over the internet.

Personally, I regret that the small, local pharmacies which offer a more personalized approach are in danger of extinction. Although I have no studies to prove it, my bias is that the chance of error would be less in this type of a setting.


Reference: Quon BS, Firszt R, Eisenberg MJ. A Comparison of Brand-Name Drug Prices between Canadian-Based Internet Pharmacies and Major U.S. Drug Chain Pharmacies. Ann Intern Med. 2005;143(6):397-403.