Posted by The rise of the internet has brought with it the convenience of online shopping. Now, people are so attached to buying things online, that ecommerce stores are out profiting their brick and mortar counterparts every year. The same is true of prescription medication. By 2015, Americans were spending more than $300 billion on prescription medication and as this number continues to grow every year, there is space and interest for internet pharmacies to exploit.
The rise in the cost of prescription drugs has also led to a rise in online pharmacies. Americans are spending more and more on life-saving drugs whose cost has continued to skyrocket since the early 2000s. Most families have turned to the more affordable drugs they can find in online drug stores. Most of these stores are able to charge such low prices since they are located outside the US. Americans are particularly fond of Canadian pharmacies that have become synonymous with affordable medication.
Why Online Canadian Pharmacies?
Online pharmacies in Canada have a higher ranking than pharmacies from other countries, but while affordability it a huge factor, there are other reasons why people seem to trust Canadian online pharmacies more than most.
1. Quality
Canadian online pharmacies are known to stock only the best quality products made by trustworthy manufacturers. While there is potential in other countries for counterfeit drugs to proliferate the market, Canada has strong regulatory bodies that crack down on counterfeit medication.[1] Therefore the medication available in most Canadian online pharmacies is just as good as the FDA approved drugs you have to pay an arm and a leg for at home.
2. Regulatory Responsibility
Canada also has a reputation of having mastered the oversight and regulation of online pharmacies. Online pharmacies registered in the country undergo scrutiny to ensure that they comply with the law in every way.[2] They are also bound by some of the strictest rules in the world governing the sale of online mediation. Thanks to regulatory bodies like CIPA, recognizing a fake Canadian online pharmacy is very easy; just look for the CIPA badge on the sight.
3. Great Reviews and Reputation
Above all customers who have bought medication from Canadian online pharmacies say that they would do it again. The heavy regulation and high standards of quality mean that there is a very small chance you will buy counterfeit or fake drugs from a Canadian Pharmacy. Thus, these pharmacies tend to have glowing reviews from industry players and regular customers alike.[3]
Will You Really Save Money Buying from Canadian Online Pharmacies?
To most Americans, the high cost of prescription drugs is a thorny issue and with good reason. Most people are unable to afford the drugs that they need to stay alive. Take the case of an American who shared his story on CNBC. James (not his real name) said that he needed Copaxone, a drug that is used to treat Multiple Sclerosis. In the U.S. the drug would have cost him upwards of $11,000 a year, a figure even his Medicare would completely cover. Unable to raise the out-of-pocket cost to cover the drug, he turned to the very popular Canadian Pharmacies. After a little bit of research, he found a pharmacy that sent him the same drug for $1,200. He saved nearly $10,000 just by choosing to buy mediation online.
This is not an isolated case as so many Americans have found cheaper medications online. Canadian pharmacies however win out over all other countries because the medication they sell is of very high quality. But you’ve probably seen warnings about buying medication outside the country. The FDA is at the fore front of the campaign to warn you of danger of buying medication outside the country. The agency has gone as far as sending out warning letters to Americans who import drugs for personal use.[4]
Why Online Pharmacies Can be Dangerous
It is easy to dismiss the FDA s warnings as a ploy to keep American’s buying the overpriced drugs sold in the country. To some extent, this is true. The FDA and the pharmaceutical companies would rather you continue to spend money on their drugs. But they also have a point about the dangers of buying medication from online pharmacies.
In 2017, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacies (NABP) found that 96% if all online medical sites Americans used to fill prescriptions were fake. NABP warns that it can be difficult to tell is an online pharmacy is legitimate or not and even more difficult to spot counterfeit medications. It is also worth noting that some online pharmacies will claim to be Canadian when they are not. These fake Canadian pharmacies are designed to pass for legitimate online pharmacies and may sell counterfeit medication to the unsuspecting customer.
Conclusion
While there may be some online pharmacies that are fake and sell fake drugs, many of them especially Canadian ones may just be the lifeline Americans need. As long as the price of medication in the U.S. continues to rise, Americans will be attracted to cheaper solutions online.
What do you think about Internet Pharmacies?