<p>For those that have thought about buying medication or herbal remedies on-line, especially buying from ‘Canada’ for the savings, this is certainly worth reading. For those unfamiliar, this would not be just a local problem (Vancouver is a key port for a lot of organized crime across the country and North America more generally). </p>
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<p>Funny, I just ordered an Rx from NZ, a no big deal drug I have taken in the same dose for over 40 years and just wanted to get some cheaply (I pay cash for Doctor visits, labwork and Rx so will save some $$)</p>
<p>I did use a credit card and called my credit card company to make sure i can protest it, if need be with full rights. Most websites said they could NOT ship to Canada as it is illegal to import drugs into Canada. </p>
<p>I will also admit to having bought the same meds in person OTC in Mexico and by Rx in Canada. I will have to see how this all works out, I have never tried the online option before.</p>
<p>My husband has ordered an allergy drug from a Canadian online pharmacy with no ill effects. The cost was 1/4 of the US cost. He takes it daily, and we pay for our our Rxs. It does seem to be the real thing, or he would notice. I was considering ordering another long term prescription from the same company, but I’ll have to reconsider that now. </p>
<p>We’ve had a friend purchase a couple of allergy meds for us in Mexico. The meds needed are over the counter in Mexico. </p>
<p>Thanks for the heads up. I"ll have to watch this.</p>
<p>The challenge to me is you can’t know where the vendor is actually located, where the drug is really made (and whether there was any control of quality or active ingredient). How do you even know what’s in it? No doubt its likely a small probability event- only some drugs bought online will be problematic or dangerous. But why take the chance? I wouldn’t ingest something without knowing those answers, regardless of cost savings.</p>
<p>According to the FDA, the majority of drugs from international based online pharmacies are counterfeit by their definition. Also, the majority of “Canadian” pharmacies are actually based in India or China. It is risky buying a drug from an unlicensed source.</p>
<p>I’ve never really understood why anyone would take the risk of ordering medication online but I have to say that the FDA comment that Nova mentions is amusing. I also recall them issuing a warning years ago to the thousands of Americans crossing the Canadian border to purchase medications in person. The costs were so much lower here that it was worth the trip, and the warnings were pretty self-serving in that these patients were costing U.S. pharmaceutical companies a lot of $$, and, in reality, there was no difference in terms of safety.</p>
<p>Key word I said was by their definition of what a counterfeit drug is. If the drug’s color or markings are off, it is counterfeit. FDA is not making a comment about physical pharmacies in Canada, but online ones. A real pharmacy in Canada is just as safe as one here.</p>
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<p>Of course it is. However, that is not how it was portrayed by many U.S. government officials, including Pres. Bush, when those busloads of American seniors were crossing the border in order to save $$.</p>
<p>I think counterfeit drugs are a big problem. I have read stories about mainstream U.S. pharmacies getting fake drugs through their normal supply chain. But when I see warnings such as, “avoid all online pharmacies/perscriptions/drugs” I can’t help being a little skeptical and think that the main purpose here is to keep people from saving money and bypassing the normal distribution system, ie preserve profits for big pharma.</p>
<p>But thanks for the headsup - it is something to consider.</p>