The citizens of the European countries, as well as the Americans, pay too much for the meds. The brutally overpriced medicines make the Americans save on necessities and cut corners when it comes to the use of family budget. The volatile meds market in the country is controlled by the brand pharmaceutical mastodons, and the Trump administration is still not sure how to fix the situation. It resulted in numerous Americans regularly leaving the country for a more sufficient pharmaceutical support because of the so-called “free market” drug pricing.
The Republicans and the Democrats have been through long debates concerning the drug pricing in the country. They are willing to deregulate the industry without tightening the pharmaceutical market. Hopefully, the government price controls and regulations concerning the legal generics from Canada help the Americans safe on the meds and never compromise the necessities.
Canadian Price Reductions & Strategies
How does it happen that Canadian pharma manufacturers offer the same drugs at lower prices?
- The Canadian government has established a government review board that does not let pharma manufacturers release the meds if the prices on them are excessively high;
- The Canadians understand that they have finite health care resource;
- When a drug is released in the Canadian pharmaceutical market, the manufacturer does not have the right to charge a higher price for no reason — inflation rate is the only thing that can affect the pricing on pharma products in Canada;
- Governmental price controls are more powerful in Canada in comparison to the United States.
What Makes US Drugs So Expensive?
There’s a confrontation between the American health insurers and the suppliers of medicines and pharmaceutical products. Besides, American manufacturers are not restricted to advertising. This way they reach the public, making their products popular and in high demand.
Is It Legal to Import Drugs from Canada?
Partially, yes. Getting drugs from over the border is considered illegal for Americans. Nevertheless, the FDA does not object to drug imports. That’s why drug tourism is still so popular in the northern states of America.
Of course, the FDA does not forget to point out the fact that buying drugs and any pharmaceutical products from abroad can be dangerous. There are risks of getting the meds which are:
- Counterfeit;
- Substandard;
- Contaminated;
- Improperly packed;
- Adulterated.
American Drugs Are the Most Expensive in the World
International Federation of Health Plans says that the residents of the United States of America pay six times more than the residents of the other countries. Prescription drugs are the priciest in the country, and the Americans often have to turn to Canadian drugstores and similar pharmaceutical organizations to cut corners on healthcare expenses. It means that majority of the Americans are sure that pharma costs are excessive and turn to Canadian manufacturers.
Many Americans regularly get into debt while paying for their meds for the following reasons:
- The pharma market in the United States demands long-time research before letting the drug into the market. It takes much time, patience, and intellectual resources. The more the drug stays in the development, the higher the prices are.
- If a manufacturer wants to release a new drug, he has to spend about 10 years and more than $2.5 billion to start selling it officially.
- There are several successful and cheap drugs that the United States’ government does not let to release into the market for no specific reason.
- The pharmaceutical manufacturers make the prices higher simply because they can, which is not controlled by the government.
Unfortunately, all these policies are beneficial for the insurance companies, benefitting from the fragmented purchases of the drugs not included in the list of the medical insurance meds. Such medications as ED and PE pills are not included in the lists of the majority of insurance companies.
Americans Can’t Do Anything
Unfortunately, Medicare.gov does not have any possibilities to control the manufacture of pharmaceutical goods in the country.
- Medicare does not negotiate the prices on drugs directly;
- There’s no possibility to bargain with the pharma companies to get the most sufficient price;
- The United States of America has a closed healthcare system where lower prices on popular medications are almost impossible to establish.
Risks of Getting Meds from Canada
Trump has finally allowed purchasing the medications from Canada. Is it safe, and does it imply any specific control?
At the end of summer, 2019, Trump Administration launched a temporary program that serves as a pilot for the potentially beneficial project. They are testing the most popular prescription drugs from Canada to find out whether their products deserve attention and can substitute for the expensive brands in the American Pharma market.
There’s a need for a more efficient competition in the pharma market of the US. Canada can become one of the most powerful competitors thanks to the proximity and high-quality suppliers. Outlining the possible future of ED market, Oehha claims that Canadian pharmacies will become one of the top drug distributors all over the world.
Are there any risks?
Probably. It can be connected with the burst out of fraudsters and fake online pharmacies offering inactive or counterfeit medications for cheap. The Americans will still have to google for additional information about every pharmacy they are interested in before sharing their health details and financial information.
It’s sad, but the Canadian pharmacies provide the Americans with cheap treatments for cancer and many chronic health conditions. Even the FDA accepts most of them. Mail-ordering from Canada is still partially illegal.
Diabetes Patients Suffer the Most
Type I diabetics can’t live without regular insulin injections. A patient like this has to spend about $3,000 monthly to keep living. Rare insurance companies are ready to pay for expensive medications like these.
Life-saving medications destined to help people survive are not accessible for the majority of the Americans. They are forced to cut corners on their everyday expenses merely to be able to pay for the medical expenses.
Many Americans have to buy insulin illegally, which is not only troublesome but insulting at the same time. Sometimes they have to choose between getting to the grocery store or buying another pack of meds.
According to the officially presented information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than five million Americans order the meds over the border merely because they cannot afford them in their own country. Importing meds from Canada and another foreign pharmaceutical organization has become normal among the residents of the US.
Excessive Prices on Drugs for Non-Canadians: Bottom Line
Americans turn to the Canadian pharmaceutical markets because their drugs are a hundred times cheaper than the brands. Even if an American resident has insurance, he will never manage to afford a drug released within the borders of his motherland.
It’s a two-level pricing system where the brand pharma manufacturers drive up the prices leaving fewer possibilities for the competitive suppliers of generic options. The ultra-high prices on the basic drugs make the Americans search for cheaper options to avoid the extraordinary prices established by the government.