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| Canadian Drugs |
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Over the past several years, an estimated 1 million US citizens are traveling to Canada to buy cheaper prescription drugs. They are crossing the border in person, by telephone, by fax and over the Internet. Recent news coverage has many patients asking their doctors for advice about the safety of buying drugs in Canada—even if buying them is legal. Doctors often find themselves at a loss for answers.
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| Legality |
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Are these purchases legal?
"The legal sands are shifting. The House and Senate have passed several different versions of legislation allowing drug imports and the penalties for breaking the law are still unclear. The FDA has declined to prosecute persons involved in these transaction, but it is not as clear about cities and states that choose this option. The FDA will instead focus on the middlemen."
See New England Journal of Medicine volume 349 Number 23 December 4, 2003.
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| Safety |
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Are these purchases safe?
"The drug approval process in Canada is similar to that followed in the US. Canada´s pricing guidelines tether the price of new medications both to those of existing medications and to the other consumer goods. These guidelines have contributed to an increasing disparity between US and Canadian drug prices…that are on the average, 67% higher than the Canadian prices."
Patented Medicine Prices Review Board, 2002.
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| Obtaining a Prescription |
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What are the mechanics of obtaining a prescription?
"A valid prescription from a US physician is required, and often a patient´s medical history is solicited as well. In the Canadian pharmacy participating in the arrangement, the prescription is reissued by a Canadian physician and then filled by a Canadian pharmacist. Narcotics, benzodiazepines, and other drugs with the potential for abuse are generally not available."
See New England Journal of Medicine volume 349 Number 23 December 4, 2003.
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| Evidence of harm |
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What is the evidence of harm?
"Evidence of harm from these transactions is sparse. However the possibility of harm may escalate in the future. Especially in the murky marketplace of the Internet, US consumers have no way of knowing with certainty the true origin of drugs ordered from Canadian sites."
See New England Journal of Medicine volume 349 Number 23 December 4, 2003.
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