From the Los Angeles Times:
Obtaining low-cost drugs from Canada, Mexico and other foreign countries is a controversial method for shaving prescription expenses.
In most instances it is illegal, but authorities often take a "don't ask, don't tell" approach to the practice as long as consumers are purchasing nonnarcotic drugs for personal use.
Residents of border states such as Michigan and California have frequented foreign pharmacies for years. Buying from abroad via the Internet or mail order carries additional risk, experts warn, because consumers can't be sure of the source of the drugs.
This month, Sens. Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) introduced drug importation legislation that creates a legal and regulated system for buying drugs from foreign countries. ...more
Showing posts with label online pharmacy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label online pharmacy. Show all posts
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Drug Imports May Become Legal in U.S. Under Obama, McCain Plans
From Bloomberg:
Americans may soon be able to buy cheap drugs imported from other countries without fear of breaking the law, now that a five-year push in Congress for new rules has gained support in President Barack Obama’s budget.
A proposal to allow drug imports was introduced today by Senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican defeated by Obama for the presidency, along with Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan, of North Dakota, and Republican Senator Olympia Snowe, of Maine. Obama called for the changes in his budget last week, and views the measure as one way to reduce health-care costs so that medical coverage for the uninsured can be expanded.
Brand-name drugs in other countries cost as much as 70 percent less than in the U.S. Allowing imports would save Americans $50 billion over the next decade, including $10 billion for the U.S. government, the lawmakers said. Dorgan and Snowe previously introduced similar legislation opposed by the pharmaceutical industry and former President George W. Bush. ...more
Americans may soon be able to buy cheap drugs imported from other countries without fear of breaking the law, now that a five-year push in Congress for new rules has gained support in President Barack Obama’s budget.
A proposal to allow drug imports was introduced today by Senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican defeated by Obama for the presidency, along with Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan, of North Dakota, and Republican Senator Olympia Snowe, of Maine. Obama called for the changes in his budget last week, and views the measure as one way to reduce health-care costs so that medical coverage for the uninsured can be expanded.
Brand-name drugs in other countries cost as much as 70 percent less than in the U.S. Allowing imports would save Americans $50 billion over the next decade, including $10 billion for the U.S. government, the lawmakers said. Dorgan and Snowe previously introduced similar legislation opposed by the pharmaceutical industry and former President George W. Bush. ...more
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Cross-border medicine trade back in spotlight
From the Globe and Mail:
U.S. President Barack Obama's $3.55-trillion (U.S.) budget included one sentence that could reopen a long simmering debate in Canada - how much access Americans should have to inexpensive medicines from Canada.
For years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has made it difficult for Americans to import drugs from other countries, including Canada, citing concerns about safety. But that has not stopped many Internet pharmacies from sprouting up on this side of the border, offering a wide range of prescription and non-prescription drugs, usually at lower prices. Price controls and a lower dollar have kept medicine prices generally lower in Canada compared with the United States.
The Internet cross-border business has been estimated as close to $1-billion (Canadian) and peaked several years ago when the Canadian dollar traded well below 70 cents (U.S). Business has trailed off in recent years as the dollar strengthened and changes were made to some U.S. drug plans for senior citizens.
Yesterday, Mr. Obama signalled in his budget that his administration supports efforts to open up the cross-border medicine trade. One section, titled "Lower Drug Costs and Improves Food and Medical Product Safety," noted that the budget "supports the Food and Drug Administration's new efforts to allow Americans to buy safe and effective drugs from other countries." ...more
U.S. President Barack Obama's $3.55-trillion (U.S.) budget included one sentence that could reopen a long simmering debate in Canada - how much access Americans should have to inexpensive medicines from Canada.
For years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has made it difficult for Americans to import drugs from other countries, including Canada, citing concerns about safety. But that has not stopped many Internet pharmacies from sprouting up on this side of the border, offering a wide range of prescription and non-prescription drugs, usually at lower prices. Price controls and a lower dollar have kept medicine prices generally lower in Canada compared with the United States.
The Internet cross-border business has been estimated as close to $1-billion (Canadian) and peaked several years ago when the Canadian dollar traded well below 70 cents (U.S). Business has trailed off in recent years as the dollar strengthened and changes were made to some U.S. drug plans for senior citizens.
Yesterday, Mr. Obama signalled in his budget that his administration supports efforts to open up the cross-border medicine trade. One section, titled "Lower Drug Costs and Improves Food and Medical Product Safety," noted that the budget "supports the Food and Drug Administration's new efforts to allow Americans to buy safe and effective drugs from other countries." ...more
Prescription drugs: more business for Canadian online pharmacies?
From CBC News:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration still says "don't do it." The "it" being buying prescription drugs from Canadian — or any other foreign — online pharmacy.
The official line is that if you're an American buying drugs online, you could be paying for:
* Counterfeit drugs.
* Medicine that's too strong or two weak.
* Drugs made in unsafe conditions.
* Drugs that are beyond their best-before date.
The FDA says there's nothing wrong with buying online, as long as the website is located in the United Prescription drugs being measured out.States, is licensed by the state board of pharmacy where the site is operating, has a licensed pharmacist on hand to answer your questions and requires a prescription from a doctor who is licensed to practice in the United States. ...more
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration still says "don't do it." The "it" being buying prescription drugs from Canadian — or any other foreign — online pharmacy.
The official line is that if you're an American buying drugs online, you could be paying for:
* Counterfeit drugs.
* Medicine that's too strong or two weak.
* Drugs made in unsafe conditions.
* Drugs that are beyond their best-before date.
The FDA says there's nothing wrong with buying online, as long as the website is located in the United Prescription drugs being measured out.States, is licensed by the state board of pharmacy where the site is operating, has a licensed pharmacist on hand to answer your questions and requires a prescription from a doctor who is licensed to practice in the United States. ...more
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Rx plan cuts Montgomery County costs nearly in half
From the Schenectady (NY) Daily Gazette:
The cost of prescription medications for employees of Montgomery County and the city of Amsterdam has been cut nearly in half since they began participating in the CanaRx prescription drug plan.
More than 5,000 prescriptions have been issued since the program’s start in 2006 for participants, according to statistics provided by CSEA Local 829 President Eddie Russo.
The cost for 5,403 prescriptions under a typical U.S. prescription plan is estimated at $1.97 million, but instead cost roughly $1 million through the end of October, according to the report from CanaRx.
Including employees, their family members and retired employees, 1,474 people are covered under the Canadian drug plan. ...more
The cost of prescription medications for employees of Montgomery County and the city of Amsterdam has been cut nearly in half since they began participating in the CanaRx prescription drug plan.
More than 5,000 prescriptions have been issued since the program’s start in 2006 for participants, according to statistics provided by CSEA Local 829 President Eddie Russo.
The cost for 5,403 prescriptions under a typical U.S. prescription plan is estimated at $1.97 million, but instead cost roughly $1 million through the end of October, according to the report from CanaRx.
Including employees, their family members and retired employees, 1,474 people are covered under the Canadian drug plan. ...more
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Internet drug peddlers raided in 9 countries
From Reuters:
Authorities in nine countries have raided businesses suspected of supplying medicines illegally over the Internet in an unprecedented global swoop coordinated by Interpol, officials said on Thursday.
The operation, codenamed Pangea, involved dozens of locations in Britain, Germany, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Canada and the United States.
The raids on Wednesday mark the first time that such action has been taken on an international scale, an Interpol spokeswoman said.
Illicit sales of medicines via the Web are a growing problem, since many of the products are counterfeits of dubious quality and potentially dangerous.
Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, which raided 12 residential and commercial premises in the crackdown, said illegal Internet sales posed a serious risk to public health.
"A medicine bought in this way has no guarantee that it is safe or that it is effective and can in fact be harmful," Danny Lee-Frost, head of operations, said in a statement. ...more
Authorities in nine countries have raided businesses suspected of supplying medicines illegally over the Internet in an unprecedented global swoop coordinated by Interpol, officials said on Thursday.
The operation, codenamed Pangea, involved dozens of locations in Britain, Germany, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Canada and the United States.
The raids on Wednesday mark the first time that such action has been taken on an international scale, an Interpol spokeswoman said.
Illicit sales of medicines via the Web are a growing problem, since many of the products are counterfeits of dubious quality and potentially dangerous.
Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, which raided 12 residential and commercial premises in the crackdown, said illegal Internet sales posed a serious risk to public health.
"A medicine bought in this way has no guarantee that it is safe or that it is effective and can in fact be harmful," Danny Lee-Frost, head of operations, said in a statement. ...more
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Canadian drugstores are losing U.S. sales
From the Newark (NJ) Star Ledger:
Anthony Iwaszko used to fill his prescriptions through mail-order pharmacies in Canada, where he found the prices for his costly hypertension and cholesterol medicines were substantially lower.
Now, the 73-year-old retired Belmar resident purchases all of his medicines in the United States.
"I stopped buying from Canada about two years ago when I was able to get the new Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage," Iwaszko said.
Only a few years ago, there was a mass movement by senior citizens to "remiport" drugs from Canada, where many brand-name medicines cost half of what they sold for at pharmacies in the United States. Canadian pharmacies were frequent advertisers in newspapers and on websites.
Today, more and more seniors like Iwaszko have given up buying their medicine from Canada. By some estimates, the flow of prescription drugs across the border has been cut in half over the past few years.
"The business certainly has decreased," said Gord Haugh, head of the Canadian International Pharmacists Association. "At the height of business about three or four years ago, we were probably approaching about a billion dollars in sales, and I think it is probably down now to between $400 million and $500 million." ...more
Anthony Iwaszko used to fill his prescriptions through mail-order pharmacies in Canada, where he found the prices for his costly hypertension and cholesterol medicines were substantially lower.
Now, the 73-year-old retired Belmar resident purchases all of his medicines in the United States.
"I stopped buying from Canada about two years ago when I was able to get the new Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage," Iwaszko said.
Only a few years ago, there was a mass movement by senior citizens to "remiport" drugs from Canada, where many brand-name medicines cost half of what they sold for at pharmacies in the United States. Canadian pharmacies were frequent advertisers in newspapers and on websites.
Today, more and more seniors like Iwaszko have given up buying their medicine from Canada. By some estimates, the flow of prescription drugs across the border has been cut in half over the past few years.
"The business certainly has decreased," said Gord Haugh, head of the Canadian International Pharmacists Association. "At the height of business about three or four years ago, we were probably approaching about a billion dollars in sales, and I think it is probably down now to between $400 million and $500 million." ...more
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
CanaRx president says Canadian drugs shortage unlikely
From the Windsor (Ont.) Star:
Fears of a prescription drug shortage in Canada are rising now that it's all but certain the next U.S. president will allow Americans to import cheaper Canadian drugs.
But a Windsorite whose company sells prescription drugs to Americans, and inspired a Simpsons episode for it, says the fears are all hype.
"Making it easier to import international medications would not have a significant impact to Canada at all, or its supply," said Tony Howard, president of CanaRx. "What the three candidates are doing will not jeopardize Canada's supply at all."
It's illegal in the U.S. for Americans to import prescription drugs from other countries, and President George Bush has opposed changing that.
But all three major U.S. presidential candidates -- Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain -- have said they'd allow it. ...more
Fears of a prescription drug shortage in Canada are rising now that it's all but certain the next U.S. president will allow Americans to import cheaper Canadian drugs.
But a Windsorite whose company sells prescription drugs to Americans, and inspired a Simpsons episode for it, says the fears are all hype.
"Making it easier to import international medications would not have a significant impact to Canada at all, or its supply," said Tony Howard, president of CanaRx. "What the three candidates are doing will not jeopardize Canada's supply at all."
It's illegal in the U.S. for Americans to import prescription drugs from other countries, and President George Bush has opposed changing that.
But all three major U.S. presidential candidates -- Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain -- have said they'd allow it. ...more
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Bush urges new rules on online sales of addictive prescription drugs
From the Los Angeles Times:
President Bush called on Congress on Saturday to pass legislation restricting online sales of powerfully addictive prescription drugs, citing a growing number of overdoses.
Bush referred to San Diego teenager Ryan Haight as he unveiled the 2008 national drug control strategy in his weekly radio address. Haight overdosed on painkillers he bought over the Internet, prompting Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) to introduce the bill that Bush championed Saturday.
The president said his national drug policy had reduced youth drug consumption by 24% since 2001. That progress has been counterbalanced by the growing problem of prescription drug abuse.
"Unfortunately, many young Americans do not understand how dangerous abusing medication can be," Bush said. "In recent years, the number of Americans who have died from prescription drug overdoses has increased." ...more
President Bush called on Congress on Saturday to pass legislation restricting online sales of powerfully addictive prescription drugs, citing a growing number of overdoses.
Bush referred to San Diego teenager Ryan Haight as he unveiled the 2008 national drug control strategy in his weekly radio address. Haight overdosed on painkillers he bought over the Internet, prompting Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) to introduce the bill that Bush championed Saturday.
The president said his national drug policy had reduced youth drug consumption by 24% since 2001. That progress has been counterbalanced by the growing problem of prescription drug abuse.
"Unfortunately, many young Americans do not understand how dangerous abusing medication can be," Bush said. "In recent years, the number of Americans who have died from prescription drug overdoses has increased." ...more
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Free Trade Zones Ease Passage of Counterfeit Drugs
From the New York Times:
Along a seemingly endless row of identical gray warehouses, a lone guard stands watch over a shuttered storage area with a peeling green and yellow sign: Euro Gulf Trading.
Three months ago, when the authorities announced that they had seized a large cache of counterfeit drugs from Euro Gulf’s warehouse deep inside a sprawling free trade zone here, they gave no hint of the raid’s global significance.
But an examination of the case reveals its link to a complex supply chain of fake drugs that ran from China through Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Britain and the Bahamas, ultimately leading to an Internet pharmacy whose American customers believed they were buying medicine from Canada, according to interviews with regulators and drug company investigators in six countries.
The seizure highlights how counterfeit drugs move in a global economy, and why they are so difficult to trace. And it underscores the role played by free trade zones — areas specially designated by a growing number of countries to encourage trade, where tariffs are waived and there is minimal regulatory oversight. ...more
Along a seemingly endless row of identical gray warehouses, a lone guard stands watch over a shuttered storage area with a peeling green and yellow sign: Euro Gulf Trading.
Three months ago, when the authorities announced that they had seized a large cache of counterfeit drugs from Euro Gulf’s warehouse deep inside a sprawling free trade zone here, they gave no hint of the raid’s global significance.
But an examination of the case reveals its link to a complex supply chain of fake drugs that ran from China through Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Britain and the Bahamas, ultimately leading to an Internet pharmacy whose American customers believed they were buying medicine from Canada, according to interviews with regulators and drug company investigators in six countries.
The seizure highlights how counterfeit drugs move in a global economy, and why they are so difficult to trace. And it underscores the role played by free trade zones — areas specially designated by a growing number of countries to encourage trade, where tariffs are waived and there is minimal regulatory oversight. ...more
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
No prescription, no problem
From the Globe and Mail:
Ever wonder what would happen if you actually opened that e-mail titled "Vi@GRa, LeVitr@ with the LOWEST prices!" and ordered up some pills?
Researchers at the University of Toronto-based Centre for Global eHealth Innovation recently took on the task, sifting through more than 4,000 spam e-mails and placing 27 orders in an attempt to gauge how easy it is for Canadians to buy prescription drugs online.
The study leaders, Alejandro Jadad and Peter Gernburd, received one product for every three orders they placed.
"We were very surprised to find you could get so much from these spammers. Canadians have to be wary of this," Dr. Jadad said.
The study was published yesterday in the online journal PLoS Medicine. ...more
Ever wonder what would happen if you actually opened that e-mail titled "Vi@GRa, LeVitr@ with the LOWEST prices!" and ordered up some pills?
Researchers at the University of Toronto-based Centre for Global eHealth Innovation recently took on the task, sifting through more than 4,000 spam e-mails and placing 27 orders in an attempt to gauge how easy it is for Canadians to buy prescription drugs online.
The study leaders, Alejandro Jadad and Peter Gernburd, received one product for every three orders they placed.
"We were very surprised to find you could get so much from these spammers. Canadians have to be wary of this," Dr. Jadad said.
The study was published yesterday in the online journal PLoS Medicine. ...more
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Pharmacist inks Internet drug deal
From the Vancouver Province:
A Surrey pharmacist has signed an exclusive deal with the Philippines government to sell prescription drugs in that nation on the Net.
Bob Rai is president of Pharma-Canada Inc., which he said signed the five-year deal in March and hopes to be operating early in August. "The federal government of the Philippines wants to reduce medication costs by about 50 per cent by the year 2010," Rai said yesterday.
He has business contacts in the Philippines after travelling there regularly for several years to facilitate his dealings in herbal medications and generic drugs. To reduce costs, government-run pharmacies have been set up to offer an alternative to the more expensive, private pharmacies. ...more
A Surrey pharmacist has signed an exclusive deal with the Philippines government to sell prescription drugs in that nation on the Net.
Bob Rai is president of Pharma-Canada Inc., which he said signed the five-year deal in March and hopes to be operating early in August. "The federal government of the Philippines wants to reduce medication costs by about 50 per cent by the year 2010," Rai said yesterday.
He has business contacts in the Philippines after travelling there regularly for several years to facilitate his dealings in herbal medications and generic drugs. To reduce costs, government-run pharmacies have been set up to offer an alternative to the more expensive, private pharmacies. ...more
Monday, May 28, 2007
Canadian drug imports shrink in half from 2004
From the Detroit News:
The once-booming business of selling Canadian prescription drugs to Americans has shrunk in half since 2004-05 as the surging Canadian dollar and better U.S. government health insurance erode the price gap.
Annual sales have slipped below $500 million Canadian, down from nearly $1 billion Canadian in 2004, according to figures supplied by the Canadian International Pharmacy Association, which represents Internet and mail-order drugstores.
The figures include sales of drugs to Americans from third countries, mainly in Europe, but brokered by Canadian pharmacies. ...more
The once-booming business of selling Canadian prescription drugs to Americans has shrunk in half since 2004-05 as the surging Canadian dollar and better U.S. government health insurance erode the price gap.
Annual sales have slipped below $500 million Canadian, down from nearly $1 billion Canadian in 2004, according to figures supplied by the Canadian International Pharmacy Association, which represents Internet and mail-order drugstores.
The figures include sales of drugs to Americans from third countries, mainly in Europe, but brokered by Canadian pharmacies. ...more
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Reliability of drugs from Canada questioned
From the Trenton (NJ) Times:
Fred Billingham was waiting to shoot pool at the Hamilton Senior Center. Former U.S. Rep. Jim Greenwood was hundreds of miles away in Washington, D.C., but they were of like minds on one topic: Purchasing cheap medication from Canada scares them.
"I wouldn't trust them," said the 78-year-old retiree, "because you don't know what you're getting."
And Greenwood, a former Bucks County, Pa., legislator who now is president of the trade association the Biotechnology Industry Organization, said, "There is a very legitimate safety issue that has to be taken into consideration."
That safety concern is why state investigators make no apologies for the tactic they used last week to shut down a local company that helped American patients buy lower-cost medications from Canada. ...more
Fred Billingham was waiting to shoot pool at the Hamilton Senior Center. Former U.S. Rep. Jim Greenwood was hundreds of miles away in Washington, D.C., but they were of like minds on one topic: Purchasing cheap medication from Canada scares them.
"I wouldn't trust them," said the 78-year-old retiree, "because you don't know what you're getting."
And Greenwood, a former Bucks County, Pa., legislator who now is president of the trade association the Biotechnology Industry Organization, said, "There is a very legitimate safety issue that has to be taken into consideration."
That safety concern is why state investigators make no apologies for the tactic they used last week to shut down a local company that helped American patients buy lower-cost medications from Canada. ...more
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Senator Fights For Canadian Drug Access
From Newschannel5.com (Tenn.):
Lawmakers battled over prescription drugs on Capitol Hill Tuesday. One state lawmaker was fighting to give seniors a major price break, but drug companies countered with strong opposition.
State lawmakers examined a new way for Tennesseans to legally buy drugs from other countries, mainly Canada. The savings are amazing.
Senator Doug Jackson wants Tennesseans to be able to legally buy discount drugs from other countries, via the I-SAVE RX program. ...more
Lawmakers battled over prescription drugs on Capitol Hill Tuesday. One state lawmaker was fighting to give seniors a major price break, but drug companies countered with strong opposition.
State lawmakers examined a new way for Tennesseans to legally buy drugs from other countries, mainly Canada. The savings are amazing.
Senator Doug Jackson wants Tennesseans to be able to legally buy discount drugs from other countries, via the I-SAVE RX program. ...more
Monday, March 26, 2007
Company offering cheap prescription drugs faces probe
From the Vancouver Sun:
The College of Pharmacists of B.C. says it has launched an investigation into a Richmond company offering cheap prescription drugs online without being registered with the college.
The investigation will probe regulatory matters. There is no evidence that the Richmond company is in any way linked to the death of a Quadra Island woman who died after ingesting drugs she ordered online.
Under the college's guidelines, a B.C. pharmacy that sells drugs online must publish its name and address on its website -- along with the college's phone number, which people can call to verify the site is legitimate. ...more
The College of Pharmacists of B.C. says it has launched an investigation into a Richmond company offering cheap prescription drugs online without being registered with the college.
The investigation will probe regulatory matters. There is no evidence that the Richmond company is in any way linked to the death of a Quadra Island woman who died after ingesting drugs she ordered online.
Under the college's guidelines, a B.C. pharmacy that sells drugs online must publish its name and address on its website -- along with the college's phone number, which people can call to verify the site is legitimate. ...more
MD: Online medical treatment 'frightening'
There are a few more details about the Marcia Bergeron in this article. Most notably, the names of the drugs she bought online were mentioned: alprazolam (brand name Xanax) and zolpidem (brand name Ambien in the U.S)
From the Vancouver Sun:
The Quadra Island woman who died after taking tainted pills she bought on the Internet became very sick in the weeks leading up to her death but never mentioned ordering drugs online, her best friend said yesterday.
"She complained that she felt like she had flu symptoms and diarrhea," said Glenda Billerbeck, who visited Marcia Bergeron at her home in the days before her death. "She said, 'My legs are kind of swollen up,' and she was tired."
Billerbeck said Bergeron, 57, suffered from several health problems, including a bad hip and severe allergies.
But she said her friend, whom she knew for more than 15 years, never mentioned ordering medicine online. ...more
Friday, March 23, 2007
Online drugs can prove deadly: coroner
This death is a sad example of "buyer beware." I'd like to think that it might dissuade a few people to buy pharmaceuticals online from questionable websites, but the fact is a lot of people want to circumvent the typical route of going to the physician and getting a prescription, especially when it comes to certain types of drugs. Hopefully, people will now be able to identify some of the characteristics of the worst sites.
It sounds like she was ordering painkillers and sedatives, including one that is not available in Canada due to a high risk of overdose. In a lot of ways, this case has similarities to buying Oxcontin on the shady street corner in your own town. You never really know what you're getting. The only difference is that she bought it online.
It sounds like she was ordering painkillers and sedatives, including one that is not available in Canada due to a high risk of overdose. In a lot of ways, this case has similarities to buying Oxcontin on the shady street corner in your own town. You never really know what you're getting. The only difference is that she bought it online.
From Vancouver Sun:
A few days before she died just after Christmas, Marcia Bergeron started losing her hair and had blurred vision -- telling friends on Quadra Island that she feared she was coming down with the flu.
It was only later that those investigating her death discovered the truth: She had slowly been poisoned.
But this is no murder mystery.
The B.C. Coroners Service announced Tuesday that it believes Bergeron, 57, was poisoned by tainted pills she ordered online from a bogus Canadian pharmacy. ...more
Online drug loss hard pill to swallow
The numbers are now verifying what we already knew. Canadian online pharmacies had a tough year in 2006. I think anyone who has survived this long has likely found their niche and will continue in business. However, there is no real sign of growth in the industry. With the manufacturer restrictions solidly in place and Medicare Part D entering its second year, the only factor that could change is the exchange rate. A sinking Canadian dollar may be the only way these pharmacies will see leaps in sales.
From the Financial Post:
Dozens of Canadian Internet pharmacies have closed shop or laid off staff after sales at the country’s online drugstores plunged by nearly 50% last year.
A report released Wednesday by IMS Health, a company that tracks pharmaceutical sales, suggests Internet pharmacies sold only $211-million worth of prescriptions into the U.S. in 2006, a steep drop from sales of $420-million in 2005.
The declining revenues forced about 30 online drugstores — whose chief business was selling cheap Canadian medication to U.S. seniors — to close around the country, according to the Canadian International Pharmacy Association. ...more
Buying online drugs: Dos and Don'ts
From CTV News:
Health agencies and experts are providing advice to Canadians who are considering buying drugs over the Internet, with the issue launched back into the spotlight after the recent death of a B.C. woman who took a drug she purchased online.
The B.C. coroner says the 57-year-old Vancouver Island woman bought a sedative not legally sold in Canada, and which has been linked to overdose deaths in other countries. ...more
Health agencies and experts are providing advice to Canadians who are considering buying drugs over the Internet, with the issue launched back into the spotlight after the recent death of a B.C. woman who took a drug she purchased online.
The B.C. coroner says the 57-year-old Vancouver Island woman bought a sedative not legally sold in Canada, and which has been linked to overdose deaths in other countries. ...more
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