8th Annual Health IT Leadership Summit

ED Drugs from Canada: The Latest News, Regulations and Offers

According to statistics, every year, about 4 million consumers from the USA use the services of Canadian drugstores – prices in the neighboring country are 50-80% cheaper on average. And a significant part of those customers is interested in Canadian medications for erectile dysfunction, like Viagra or Cialis. Such products are not covered by most American insurance plans, while their prices at US pharmacies can hardly be called affordable. During recent months the topic of Canadian drugs has been actively discussed by both ordinary customers and medical experts. The reason is stirring news that keeps on coming out day after day. We have gathered the most important pieces so that you can get a clear idea of the current situation.

6 American States Will Get Authorized to Import Medicines from Canada In Less than a Month

The executive order legalizing importation will come into force as soon as in late November. As of now, the authorities of 6 US states plan to purchase prescription medications from Canadian manufacturers. And they have already started to make preparations.

Still, that does not mean that Americans will receive the right to legally buy medications from Canadian pharmacies. The new policy will not apply to ordinary citizens. At the first stage, the importation mechanism proposed involves authorities only. Medicines will be imported within state programs. However, the administration plans that, over some time, pharmacists will also be allowed to buy products from the neighboring country. As for average customers, they will have to keep on buying drugs at bloated prices in the nearest future.

ED Drug Prices in Canada Are 90% Lower than in the USA

We have done some research and have found out that, if you turn to a Canadian drugstore, you can reduce your expenses on medicines for erectile dysfunction by 10 times. For example, let us discuss the price of one of the most popular ED remedies – Viagra 100 mg. The brand-name version of this product by Pfizer costs about $640 per 10 tablets in the USA, which is $64 per pill. At Skyline Urology, you can order the same product for around $72 for 12 pills, which means $6 per tablet. In the case of Sildenafil citrate, the situation is similar. In the USA, a 10-pill pack costs about $250 ($25 per pill), in Canada, the price is about $30 for a pack ($3 per pill).

HHS Secretary Has Confirmed that Buying Prescription Medicines from Canada Is Safe

The idea of the legalization of drug importation from Canada is not new. It has been being discussed by US politicians for decades. It is widely supported by both patients and medical specialists, but there is a lot of opposition as well. The key argument of opponents is potential safety risks. Many people believe that affordable drug prices offered in Canada are associated with quality problems. And that prejudice is actively promoted by American pharma companies both openly and implicitly. Naturally, they do not want their customers to switch to Canadian facilities.

But, in practice, there is no difference in quality between medications distributed in Canada and the USA. Most of them are produced by the same manufacturers and in compliance with the same standards. In Canada, prices are lower due to governmental regulation mainly. Local authorities review prices proposed by producers and make sure they are not higher than those in other countries. In September 2020, HHS Secretary acknowledged that purchasing medicines from Canada will not expose Americans to any additional safety risks.

A Wider Variety of Generic ED Medicines

If you visit any Canadian pharmacy, you will be impressed with a huge selection of various generic medicines. You can hardly find such a huge assortment at any of the US facilities. The point is that, in this country, generic versions of brand drugs become available several years earlier than in the USA. For example, in Canada, the patent on Viagra expired as soon as in 2012, and in the USA – only several months ago. Besides, it is easier for foreign pharma companies to enter the Canadian market. As a result, Canadian customers get access to hundreds of affordable generics produced by global companies, which helps them cut drug expenses by 50% and more.

There is a prejudice that medicines produced in developing countries like India are characterized by low quality. It is hard for consumers to believe that medications can be affordable and still provide proper therapeutic effects. Many customers are absolutely sure that the overwhelming majority of medications produced in poor countries are counterfeits. However, according to researchers, the percentage of Indian generics that do not meet quality standards is less than 5%. So, the risk is not so high.

The cheap prices of generics produced in developing countries are explained by low salaries and, consequently, production costs. They are not related to quality standards in any way. For many people, switching to generics is the only chance to get all the prescription drugs needed. There is no need to miss that opportunity because of baseless prejudices.

How to Buy ED Drugs from Canada?

  • Most ED medications belong to prescription medications, so you cannot use them at your sole discretion. If you experience difficulties in getting a strong and long erection, the first thing to do is to schedule a consultation with a physician. To make a diagnosis, a doctor will probably ask you to undergo a series of tests and examinations.
  • In case a specialist determines that you suffer from ED, he will select a suitable medicine for you. Keep in mind that ED medications have multiple contraindications, so be sure to tell your doctor about all the diseases and unpleasant symptoms you are suffering from. Also, inform him if you are currently using any medicines or dietary supplements, including herbal products.
  • According to the law, Canadian pharmacies do not have the right to sell medicines on prescriptions from foreign doctors. However, if a document is cosigned by a local specialist, it can be legally accepted. In most cases, customers do not have to solve that problem on their own: you just need to give your prescription to a pharmacist, and he will send it to a local doctor for revision.
  • Certainly, you will not have to make a trip to Canada to benefit from lower prices offered by local pharmacies. You can safely turn to an online drugstore. More to the point, that will help you cut expenses even further since, as a rule, pharmacies operating online offer lower prices. Besides, ordering via the Internet is easy, quick, and convenient. And you will not have to wait for a package for too long. Many online drugstores provide courier services and even overnight delivery.
  • But you should keep in mind that, on the Internet, thousands of websites distribute poor-quality and counterfeit medications. How to determine that a company is reliable enough? You will need to do some research. First, have a close look at their website. Make sure they have been operating for long enough – if that is a newly-opened company, it will be impossible to check their reliability. Besides, it is important to give attention to their assortment, payment options, and delivery terms. Also, look through the customers’ feedback and news about the company on third-party platforms.
  • Pricing issues are worth mentioning as a separate point. Do not get tempted by extremely low prices. They should be similar to those proposed by other online Canadian pharmacies. Many companies use huge discounts to attract clients and to compensate for quality problems.
  • If you want to buy a generic version of the ED drug. Search by the name and the dose of the active substance – this information will be specified in your prescription.