My wife, with Parkinson's disease, is the dreaded doughnut hole. A recent prescription would have cost us $565. I found I could fill the prescription through a licensed Canadian pharmacy for $49---from the same U.S. manufacturer! Mike

Consumer Reports article misses the point on drug importation

posted Fri, 28 Oct 2011

We were disappointed to see this biased article by Consumer Reports this week that warns American consumers who are having trouble affording their needed medications to avoid international online pharmacies. They further advise patients to "switch to generics whenever possible, look for discount programs, and ask your doctor or pharmacist about other ways to reduce your costs." While these latter tips are appropriate, they won't provide enough relief for cash-strapped consumers. 

Yes, there are rogue sites out there selling counterfeit medicine. But it is important to note that there are also safe and legitimate international online pharmacies that offer dramatic savings (50-80 percent) to American patients who are struggling to afford their needed medicines in this current economic climate.

We hear from Americans every day who can't afford the exorbitant cost of their medications at home. Many have found relief by ordering their prescriptions from licensed international online pharmacies. These pharmacies are verified and accredited by independent agencies such as the Canadian International Pharmacy Association, PharmacyChecker.com and Pharmacy Accreditation Services. These accreditors help consumers to distinguish the “good guys”—the licensed, legitimate pharmacies that require a doctor’s prescription to order medicine—and the “bad guys”—the rogues who sell everything from diluted or counterfeit medicine to narcotics without a prescription.

The article cites a study by Roger Bate, economist and drug safety expert at the American Enterprise Institute that tested drugs purchased from international online pharmacies against domestic, FDA-approved drugs. Drugs from foreign pharmacies verified by PharmacyChecker.com passed the test. Among the research conclusions, “This study demonstrates that there are many website pharmacies, including those from overseas, from which it is almost certainly safe to procure medicines...”

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) and LegitScript are recommended as pharmacy accreditors in the article, but both of these entities require that a pharmacy be located in the United States and that drugs are FDA approved. Nevermind the fact that Canadian and other international pharmacies often sell the exact same drugs as we get at home with the only difference being packaging. And of course, they are not "FDA approved" because each country has its own system for regulating pharmaceuticals (some arguably safer than our own).

Affordability is key here. The main reason Americans forgo taking their medications is price.A Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey showed that 48 million Americans neglected to fill their prescriptions due to cost in 2010.

This is a public health crisis. Instead of a scaring consumers away from international online pharmacies, we think that Consumer Reports should provide an independent voice on this subject. Why not take the consumers' side in this matter and help educate and direct them to legitimate international online pharmacies?

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