The Dos and Don’ts of Ordering Drugs from Canada

In today’s society, more and more Americans fill their prescription drugs online. In 2019, Americans spent nearly 3.7 billion dollars on prescription drugs using an online pharmacy. The average American spends nearly $1,200 a year on prescription drug medications. Many Canadian pharmacies and retail store websites offer prescription drug mail order services. Now, ordering drugs from Canada is popular.

Canada offers many brand-name and generic drugs in a 90-day supply at a low cost. So, can you save money by purchasing prescription drugs from an online pharmacy in Canada? Is it safe to do so?

The short answer is yes.

If you’re considering ordering drugs from Canada, keep reading to learn the dos and don’ts as well as the best practices of ordering prescription drugs safely from an online Canadian pharmacy.

The Dos and Don’ts of Ordering Drugs From Canada

More U.S. citizens are ordering prescription drugs from online Canadian pharmacies because of the cost.

Many brand-names and generic prescription drugs cost less from Canadian pharmacies. U.S. pharmacies often charge more.

However, buying prescription medications legally from online pharmacies in Canada remains controversial. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration tells people to take caution when buying prescription drugs online because of the amount of rogue pharmacies.

Many rogue online pharmacies that sell counterfeit prescription medications illegally. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 50% of prescription drugs for sale are counterfeit.

In a survey conducted by the American National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), out of 11,000 online pharmacies, 96% of these online pharmacies did not comply with the NABP patient safety and pharmacy practice standards.

The FDA also warns that many of these rogue online pharmacies are operating illegally from different countries.

Although the FDA warns that a person cannot guarantee the safety of purchasing prescription medications online from Canada, many doctors recommend that their patients order their prescription medication online from a Canadian pharmacy to avoid skipping their medication if they cannot afford it.

Many patients who do not have insurance or only have a little insurance who struggle to pay for their prescriptions have ultimately resulted in skipping their medication altogether. If you struggle to pay for your prescriptions, here are 10 tips to help you save money on your prescriptions.

Instead of skipping their medication, many doctors would rather have their patients purchase medication from a Canadian pharmacy provided that the medications are more affordable. In recent years, many U.S. citizens have chosen to buy from licensed Canadian pharmacies.

However, keep in mind that if you do consider buying your prescription medications from an online Canadian pharmacy, there’s a couple of things you should do to make sure it’s a legitimate pharmacy.

The Do’s of Ordering Drugs From Canada

1. Talk to Your Doctor or Pharmacist

The first thing you should do before you order from a Canadian pharmacy is to talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Your doctor or pharmacist may be able to recommend a reputable online Canadian pharmacy that is safe and legitimate.

If you find a pharmacy that seems to be safe and legitimate, tell your doctor or pharmacist. They can check and will be able to tell you if the Canadian pharmacy is safe and can sell prescription drugs.

2. Learn the Signs of a Rogue Online Pharmacy

When buying drugs from Canada, you should always know the signs of a rogue online Canadian pharmacy. Learning the signs will help you identify any fake pharmacies and avoid scams. You will also know not to buy any medication from them by recognizing the signs.

So, what are the signs of a rogue online pharmacy?

Signs of a Rogue Online Pharmacy

An online Canadian pharmacy is most likely fake and illegal if:

• No valid prescription
• No licensed pharmacist is available to answer your questions
• Prices are extremely low seeming too good to be true
• Shipping worldwide is an available option
• The location is outside of Canada
• Spam floods your inbox offering cheap medication

If a Canadian pharmacy shows any of those signs, you should not buy any medication from them.

You are putting your health at risk if you buy any medication from a rogue Canadian pharmacy. This can be detrimental to your health in the long run. The medication that they sell does not have the right active ingredients needed to treat your condition.

Often, these counterfeit medications from these rogue Canadian pharmacies have too much or too little of the active ingredient that you may need or it may simply contain the wrong or other harmful ingredients.

Also, sometimes these medications are not stored properly in its rightful condition. Without the proper temperature controls, the medication can prove to be ineffective in treating the condition or illness.

The most important part of the medication is the active ingredient. The active ingredient is what treats your condition or illness effectively.

Keep in mind that if you take any medications that have harmful ingredients can cause an allergic reaction. Harmful drugs can have adverse side effects on you and your body. They are very dangerous and cause more serious allergic reactions and health problems.

According to WHO, counterfeit prescription drugs are one of the leading causes of death in countries in Africa. More than 200,000 people die each year as a result of counterfeit antimalarial drugs.

The annual death toll is around 1 million each year. Patients who bought counterfeit antimalarial drugs did not receive the proper treatment.

3. Check the Physical Address of the Canadian Pharmacy

The best way to make sure that the Canadian pharmacy is legitimate is by checking the physical address.

You can check the websites listing for the Canadian street address to verify that it is safe. You may also check with the pharmacy regulatory authority for the province or territory to see if the pharmacy is on the list.

The pharmacist should also have his or her license listed. The NAPRA also contains a list of Canadian Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities.

If you do not see a Canadian street address on the site, you can verify the Canadian pharmacy by using the Pharmacy Verified Websites Program. It’s an American program and many U.S. citizens use it to help them identify safe and legal online pharmacies.

4. Never Provide any Personal Information

Personal information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, or health insurance details should never be provided without verifying first that the site is secure.

Often, people underestimate the dangers and trouble they can find themselves in by sharing their personal information online. Rogue Canadian pharmacies and scammers are always on the prowl looking for ways to take advantage of vulnerable patients.

One of the quickest ways for them to do this is by getting your information. Always be on the lookout and check to make sure that the pharmacy you are ordering from is not asking any questions that require you to share extremely sensitive or personal information. You should always take you precautions no matter what.

It is generally recommended that you read the website’s privacy policy to learn more about how to keep your information safe and private.

Did you know that 95% of online pharmacies are illegal and safe out of more than 35,000 online pharmacies according to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy?

For that reason, it is imperative that you educate yourself on how to stay safe when purchasing medication online.

5. Check the Registration Status of the Pharmacist

Always be sure to verify that a Canadian pharmacy is legitimate by checking the registration status of the pharmacist online.

Search for the name and address of the pharmacy that operates the website to check the registration status of the pharmacist. Also, you can check with your state board of pharmacy to see if the pharmacist is on the list and has their license approved by their state board of pharmacy.

All pharmacists must have their license so if you come across a Canadian pharmacy where the pharmacist listed is not licensed or registered then chances are it’s rogue.

The Don’ts of Ordering Drugs From Canada

1. Share Your Personal Information

Never, under any circumstances, share or provide your personal information.

Do not ever provide this information online if you buy prescription drugs from a Canadian pharmacy. Credit card numbers, social security numbers, or even your health insurance details are all things you should never share.

Never share this information without checking that the website is private and secure.
Be sure to check and read the website’s privacy policy to learn more about how to keep your information safe and private.

Did you know that 95% of online pharmacies are illegal and safe out of more than 35,000 online pharmacies according to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.

For that reason, you must educate yourself on how to stay safe when purchasing medication online.

2. Buy Any Prescription Drugs Offering a Miracle Cure

Do not purchase any prescription drugs from any Canadian pharmacy claiming to have a miracle cure. This is almost always a sign that the pharmacy is illegitimate and rogue.

Rogue pharmacies will often promote certain drugs as miracle cures for certain conditions and illnesses to get people to purchase from them. This is very dangerous as these medications are usually ineffective.

These websites love to make false promises about health products and medicines that provide a miracle cure. Miracle cure scams generally promise the patient a quick, simple, and easy remedy that will help anyone suffering from a serious medical condition.

Generally, they target people who suffer from more serious medical conditions such as cancer, AIDS, arthritis, or diabetes and they prey on the emotionally vulnerable. They are often followed by fake “success” stories explaining how their medicine healed and cured their sickness or illness.

3. Buy Any Prescription Drug That Does Not Have a DIN

A DIN stands for a Drug Identification Number. In Canada, all prescription drugs have an eight-digit DIN.

The purpose of the DIN is to let the patient know that Health Canada has assessed the drug and approved it as a safe and effective drug. It is also there as a way to track any adverse drug reactions that may occur from that drug.

For all prescription and therapeutic drugs, Health Canada conducts risk and benefit assessments as well as reviews on its safety, effectiveness, and quality before its placed out in the market.

Make 90-Day Meds Your Pharmacy 

To protect you and your loved ones, you should always exercise caution when ordering drugs from Canada.

At 90-Day Meds, you can buy many generic and brand-name prescription drugs safely online in a 90-day supply for a low price on our website.

As a safe and reputable pharmacy, you can save more when you choose to make us your pharmacy. Simply, take a look and browse through our comprehensive online inventory that can match you with any health product or medication that you need.

We are available to chat with you at anytime if you have any questions or concerns.

90-Day Meds offers up to 90% savings from a certified Canadian mail order pharmacy. At 90-Day Meds, we believe that everyone should have safe and easily accessible healthcare.

Interested in learning more about how you can save on your prescriptions or have more questions about how 90-Day Meds can help you save money?

Visit us online at 90DayMeds.com or contact us today by giving us a call at 1-800-828-4889.

Works Cited

• A Study On Public Health and SocioEconomic Impact of substandard and falsified medical products – who.int
• Buying Drugs Online: It’s Convenient and Private, but Beware of ‘Rogue Sites’ – webmd.com
• Buying Drugs Over The Internet – canada.ca
• CIPA Certified Safe Online Pharmacies – cipa.com
• Choosing A Safe Online Pharmacy – canada.ca
• Concerned About Getting Rx Drugs from Canada? Here’s What to Know – healthline.com
• Drug Prices – washingpost.com
• Growing threat from counterfeit medicines – who.int
• Here’s why many prescription drugs in the US cost so much-and it’s not innovation or improvement – cnbc.com
• How to Buy Medicines Safely From an Online Pharmacy – fda.gov
• MedWatch: Online Volunteering Report Form – fda.gov
• National Association of Boards of Pharmacy: Internet Drug Outlet identification Program – nabp.pharmacy
• Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities – napra.ca