This is for the 10 million seniors who, like me, have chronic illness and no prescription drug coverage.

It’s official. Bush’s newest [March 2003] heralded Medicare Prescription Benefit is even souring members of his own party by asking seniors to leave Medicare and their doctors if they want a drug benefit. Many of us must continue to look North if we’re to afford both food and medicine.

Here's the scoop:

After investigating several Canadian pharmacies, my wife and I paid $624.77 for a three-month supply of drugs. These same drugs cost us $1,208.04 buying at Walgreen’s, Target, and Kmart where we shopped for the lowest prices.

That's a saving of $583.27 which includes a Canadian physician’s rewriting your doctor's prescriptions — required by Canuck law — personal consultations, and shipping.

Chances are, you can save 25 to 80 percent buying your drugs in Canada.

There are big savings to be had across the board. A 90-day supply of Celebrex 200 mg is $85 in Canada, about $200 at your corner drug store. Corgard is $38 there, $290 here. Nexium is $142 there, $340 here. Lipitor 20 mg is $134 there, $250 here. Have your doctor write 40 mg Lipitor, cut them in half, and pay only $67.

There is nothing illegal about buying drugs in Canada. For years, Americans have been driving across the border to buy prescription drugs at lower government-regulated Canadian prices. Now, Canadian drugstores are marketing mail-order drugs directly, offering anyone in the US with a valid US prescription the benefits of Canadian price controls. As of 2003, one million American seniors are taking advantage of these huge savings.

What’s the catch? If Big Pharma had its way, customs and the FDA would be confiscating all imported drugs, crying that the government can’t guarantee their safety. But that just isn’t the case. Your pharmaceuticals come in the same sealed packages you get at your corner drugstore.

Anyway, it would be politically incorrect to arrest grandma for trying to make ends meet. Some members of Congress even encourage the practice by listing Canadian pharmacies on their Web sites.

Here’s how it works. For current prices, either call or visit the Web sites [see below] of some of the many reputable Canadian drug stores offering this service. Since each store has different prices as well as varying shipping costs, etc., comparisons can be tricky.

Most, however, end up within a few dollars of one another.

Once you decide on a druggist, simply fax your prescriptions for a 90-day supply, renewable in three months. In my case, a doctor then called and reviewed each script with me. Furnish your credit card number and you’ll have your drugs in a week. At an average of at least 40 percent off what you have been paying her.

Services vary. While some pharmacies don’t have the Canadian physician call you. You can get automatic refills for up to a year. And prices are in US dollars. This has become a very competitive business with over a billion dollars changing hands across the border last year. I'd suggest that you pick two or three pharmacies from the list below, compare prices, and order.

That's all there is to it. Though certainly not a long-term solution to many older Americans’ inability to afford essential medication, this may help some of you as a stopgap.

It's certainly a Godsend to me and my wife.

---

 

NOTE TO READERS FROM FRANK KAISER: Please note that this column was written completely independent of advertising influences. It was only after I wrote it that some Canadian drug stores wrote me, asking to advertise on this site. Since I make my living by writing the column and selling advertising on the site, I accepted their advertising.

The Suddenly Senior advertisers are at the top of the list below. They are all very good companies. I know. I have tried them all. But rest assured, please, that I maintain a wall between the editorial and advertising sections of this site. You must be able to trust what I say to be free of commercial influence.