Are you paying too much for your prescriptions and looking for discount drugs? Click here and discover how to purchase cheap prescription drugs from Canada.
Almost 40 million people live in Canada and rely on the country’s pharmaceuticals to deal with medical problems ranging from high blood pressure to cancer. Add to that number the millions of people that reside outside of the country who purchase prescription drugs from Canada and the picture becomes clear…
Canadian drugs are extremely popular.
While many people flock to Canada to partake in what they feel is a superior medical infrastructure, that’s not to say that Canadian drugs are cheap. As a matter of fact, some cite Canada as having some of the highest costing medications in the developed world.
To ensure that you’re saving as much money as possible when buying prescription drugs from Canada, we recommend that you take into account the following suggestions.
1. Always Ask For Generic Drugs
When drugs are developed by a company’s research and development team, that drug becomes proprietary. What that means is that the company that created the drug is its sole owner and can distribute it at whatever price they’d like.
That price tends to be extremely high.
Fortunately, drug’s patents expire quickly and once they do, copy-cat drugs flood the marketplace and bring the cost of drugs down.
Despite that lowered market price, the original creators of the drug still charge a premium for their version of it in hopes that consumers will see it as superior.
Don’t fall for that marketing ploy.
Generic drugs are almost certainly every bit as effective as their original counterparts and are always cheaper. Go with generic and you’ll save a ton of money.
2. Discuss Cheaper Alternatives With Your Doctor
If the prescription drugs from Canada that you’re purchasing have no generic alternative or if you can’t afford the generic version of the drug, ask your doctor if you have other options.
Oftentimes, there are alternative drugs that can lead to similar outcomes which are much cheaper. There may also be natural ways to deal with the problems that you’re dealing with (diet, exercise, etc.)
Many patients will seek help from eastern medicine doctors if their western doctor isn’t willing to offer up more affordable treatment options. If you’re open to getting that kind of second opinion, we recommend that you explore those options.
3. Check In On Your Old Prescriptions Regularly
Some people get prescription drugs and integrate them so deeply into their lifestyle that they never question taking them. The truth is though that there are thousands of people out there taking medications that their body no longer needs.
Not only is this dangerous for your health but it also may be costing you thousands of dollars each year.
If you’re on a medication for a long period of time, talk to your doctor about running tests every now and again to see if you still need to be taking that prescription. It may be that you’ve managed to correct issues like heart health by switching up your diet and that you can stop letting costly medicine burn a hole in your pocket.
4. Always Look for Low Dispensing Fees
In Canada, pharmacies have what’s called a “dispensing fee”. This is the fee that the pharmacy charges for going through the trouble of preparing and issuing you your medication.
Dispensing fees are not set by the government and can range wildly from pharmacy to pharmacy. Make sure that you do a little bit of shopping around to ensure that you pick a business that charges reasonable fees like this website.
Remember, even a fee that’s a couple of dollars above average can end up costing you a lot of money over the course of your life.
5. Look For Bulk Buy Options
Some pharmacies will give discounts if you pick up your medication in 90-day supplies as opposed to a 30-day supply. If you anticipate needing your medication for an extended period of time, we recommend opting into those bulk buy deals.
While bulk buying will cost you a little more up front, it could save you hundreds of dollars every year.
6. Keep an Eye Out for Subsidies That You Qualify For
Many governments (including Canada’s) offer discounts on medications for certain segments of their population. These segments are usually those that meet certain poverty thresholds.
There’s nothing worst that qualifying for free money and not taking it because you didn’t know about its availability. Make sure that you stay aware of what programs are out there and always check to see if you meet their criteria.
7. Stay Politically Active
Canada has a long way to go in a lot of people’s minds when it comes to negotiating drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. If you’d like to see the government take steps to make sure that drug prices trend downwards instead of upwards, get politically active.
Vote for measures that put pressure on negotiations. Vote into office people that plan on being tough on pharmaceutical companies.
Your vote is your voice when it comes to the future of prescription drugs in Canada. Use it to make positive change.
Wrapping Up How to Lower the Cost of Your Prescription Drugs From Canada
Whether you’re a Canadian citizen or a citizen from a country where buying prescriptions internationally is legal, there are ways to reduce your prescription drugs from Canada cost burden.
Leverage our tips above to start spending less on living your best and most healthy life!
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