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Prescription medications 90 day rule: What to do?

MamaGoose
Explorer
Explorer
I'm on a medication for a chronic condition which is in remission for 2 1/2 years...as long as I stay on this medication. The specific formulation I am on is not available in the U.S., although other forms of the specific drug are. Just not the formulation and dosage on which I am stable. I have been spoken to at the border twice now about the fact that I had more than a 3 month supply with me, but they let it go. The second time, I was advised to make other arrangements in the future, and told I had plenty of time to figure out how to do that. I would imagine these people keep notes, and I suspect I'm not going to get another warning. I know there have to be thousands of Canadians on prescription medications crossing into the U.S. for the winter each year. How are you dealing with this?
Seeing a doctor in the U.S. and getting a prescription?
Having your pharmacy ship from Canada? And if so, how is that going? Does it take a long time, is customs hanging onto it for a long time? Did you get a letter from your physician, does your pharmacy enclose that and clearly label the package?
I get my prescriptions from a small town pharmacy and I don't know just yet if they have any experience sending medications to snowbirds and if they would be sure to package it in such a way that it would make it through customs with no problems.
Do any of you deal with online pharmacies from Canada who ship to the U.S....how reputable are they? Would they arrange to have my prescription transferred from my current pharmacy? Mine gets written for a year at a time, so there's already a current one with my current pharmacy.
45 REPLIES 45

MamaGoose
Explorer
Explorer
Maybe this one is trustworthy?

https://www.pharmacychecker.com/

This one has a shorter list, this is an association of Pharmacists.

https://www.cipa.com/

CIPA has a link to Pharmacy Checker.

I believe online pharmacies would require licensing in whatever province they are located in. Check any websites for that.

MamaGoose
Explorer
Explorer
Bumpyroad wrote:
John&Joey wrote:
Bumpyroad wrote:
MamaGoose wrote:


Oh, I would be VERY careful. Last night I was researching. One pharmacy, I found the address and used google street view so I could actually see the building. The website also posts the name and license number of the pharmacist.


but where are the drugs actually manufactured?
bumpy


Probably the exact same place you get your USA drugs. Those poor Kanucks, they're dropping over dead all the time from those bad Canadian drugs without our high USA quality standards to guide them. :R

Yes, when ordering anything off the internet one should do their due diligence.


How do you do diligence when you order from a Canadian address, and mistakenly think you are getting Canadian manufactured products produced under decent GMPs but they are actually just a mail order address and the actual drug product comes from a third world country?
and FYI Canadian drugs are manufactured under very similar GMPs as those in the USA. which is basically why Canadian drugs are/were generally allowed in the US without US FDA inspection.
you seem to be confusing two issues. 1) drug products manufactured in Canada and 2) DRUG products ordered thru a Canadian address that are manufactured in a third world country subjected to who knows what type of conditions.
bumpy


Well, you take a good look at the website, for one thing. And that includes spelling and grammar. If it's not proper English, be suspicious. Look for a physical address. Then look for it on a google maps street view. I found a specific address in one case and was able to view the actual building which had a sign on it. It was a good sized building, which to me was a sign of legitimacy...it's not an empty rented office. Google had it labeled by the business name on the map as well. Look for a pharmacy license number on the website. There are regulations and standards in this country, all pharmacists must be licensed and they have to meet strict criteria to keep their licenses. One website I looked at had the name of a specific pharmacist and his license number, so that one guy is legally responsible for what goes on there. That is a heavy responsibility. You can probably contact a Canadian pharmacist association to see if that is a legitimate license number as well.
I know a while back I saw a site which listed legitimate Canadian pharmacies that fill online orders. If I can find more information on this, I'll post it.
I am aware that there are problems with this and a consumer has to be really careful. Being familiar with brands of medications can help, but my particular pills themselves aren't marked. I do, however, know what they are supposed to look like. They are manufactured by a generic drug company in Canada, Novopharm. The label on your medications will have an abbreviation for whatever company has manufactured the meds, ie Novopharm would be "NOP". Apotex is another generic drug manufacturing company, it's abbreviation is APO and these would be on your label. Some pills themselves are stamped or embossed. Be familiar with what your pills are supposed to look like. You might be able to find pictures of them on the internet.
Medications will also have a "DIN" number (drug identification number) and that should be on your prescription label as well. I just typed in a google search DIN followed by the number on one of my prescription labels, and I came up with the exact name of the medication as well as the manufacturer. A search on another one didn't show the manufacturer, but it did show the correct medication. I don't know if scammers would be that thorough.

MamaGoose
Explorer
Explorer
Spouse and I were talking this over last evening. I think first order of business will be to talk to our local pharmacy and see if they have any experience with shipping stuff down. I am absolutely 1000 percent NOT putting a copy of my passport in any package being shipped, that just isn't going to happen.

MamaGoose
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Explorer
CA Traveler wrote:
OH and when asked what was in the purple bag on my first crossing I responded drugs. Wrong answer. ๐Ÿ˜ž

Err sorry sir - prescription medications. :B


๐Ÿ™‚

LOL!

Bumpyroad
Explorer
Explorer
John&Joey wrote:
Bumpyroad wrote:
MamaGoose wrote:


Oh, I would be VERY careful. Last night I was researching. One pharmacy, I found the address and used google street view so I could actually see the building. The website also posts the name and license number of the pharmacist.


but where are the drugs actually manufactured?
bumpy


Probably the exact same place you get your USA drugs. Those poor Kanucks, they're dropping over dead all the time from those bad Canadian drugs without our high USA quality standards to guide them. :R

Yes, when ordering anything off the internet one should do their due diligence.


How do you do diligence when you order from a Canadian address, and mistakenly think you are getting Canadian manufactured products produced under decent GMPs but they are actually just a mail order address and the actual drug product comes from a third world country?
and FYI Canadian drugs are manufactured under very similar GMPs as those in the USA. which is basically why Canadian drugs are/were generally allowed in the US without US FDA inspection.
you seem to be confusing two issues. 1) drug products manufactured in Canada and 2) DRUG products ordered thru a Canadian address that are manufactured in a third world country subjected to who knows what type of conditions.
bumpy

CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Explorer III
OH and when asked what was in the purple bag on my first crossing I responded drugs. Wrong answer. ๐Ÿ˜ž

Err sorry sir - prescription medications. :B
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Bob

CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Explorer III
And you should consider bringing any drugs back into Canada. We've never had any issue with our US drugs and no clue about any from Mexico.
2009 Holiday Rambler 42' Scepter with ISL 400 Cummins
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Bob

CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Explorer III
MamaGoose wrote:
That was the purple pharmacy in Algodones, we didn't inquire at any others.
Walk past the first purple pharmacy, past the liquor entrance and into the second purple pharmacy. Have your list of meds.

Order if necessary and find out how long but you are in Yuma so a second trip should be no issue.

You can bring back $800 of meds/month. Two of you then $800 each. They split the order into 2 purple bags each with a receipt. Use a CC with no transaction fees.

As long as the meds don't excite the doggies you're good to go and the purple folks know all about the doggies.
2009 Holiday Rambler 42' Scepter with ISL 400 Cummins
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2014 Grand Cherokee Overland

Bob

John_Joey
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Explorer
Bumpyroad wrote:
MamaGoose wrote:


Oh, I would be VERY careful. Last night I was researching. One pharmacy, I found the address and used google street view so I could actually see the building. The website also posts the name and license number of the pharmacist.


but where are the drugs actually manufactured?
bumpy


Probably the exact same place you get your USA drugs. Those poor Kanucks, they're dropping over dead all the time from those bad Canadian drugs without our high USA quality standards to guide them. :R

Yes, when ordering anything off the internet one should do their due diligence.
Thereโ€™s no fool, like an old fool.

Bumpyroad
Explorer
Explorer
MamaGoose wrote:


Oh, I would be VERY careful. Last night I was researching. One pharmacy, I found the address and used google street view so I could actually see the building. The website also posts the name and license number of the pharmacist.


but where are the drugs actually manufactured?
bumpy

MamaGoose
Explorer
Explorer
@toedtoes, I'll give that some thought. Thanks!

toedtoes
Explorer II
Explorer II
Seems to me you can just ship it to yourself at a specific address. Just get a photocopy of the Rx from your regular pharmacy, have your doctor write a quick note saying it's for your personal use for medical reasons, and toss in a dark or poor photocopy of your passport. Mail it when you leave Canada and carry the first 3 months' supply with you.

Since you're mailing it from and to yourself, you can use any mail service you trust (fedex, ups, etc.) and will know that you're getting the same formulation that you always have.
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MamaGoose
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Explorer
That was the purple pharmacy in Algodones, we didn't inquire at any others.

MamaGoose
Explorer
Explorer
Bumpyroad wrote:
MamaGoose wrote:

Do any of you deal with online pharmacies from Canada who ship to the U.S....how reputable are they? Would they arrange to have my prescription transferred from my current pharmacy? Mine gets written for a year at a time, so there's already a current one with my current pharmacy.


beware of this potential "scam". you order thru a Canadian pharmacy but many times the product is mfg. in a third world country and shipped from overseas.
bumpy


Oh, I would be VERY careful. Last night I was researching. One pharmacy, I found the address and used google street view so I could actually see the building. The website also posts the name and license number of the pharmacist.

MamaGoose
Explorer
Explorer
bdpreece wrote:
If you are going to Yuma and crossing into Algodones; don't count on getting any prescription drugs that are not highly used. They only seem to carry the every day medications all us old people use. Wife uses a formulation drug for her diabetes which none of the pharmacies carry.


I actually spoke to a pharmacy staff member there and told him what I was on. He looked at a printout and it was available, not something they routinely stocked but he could order it. He gave me a price, and it was close to what I pay in Canada.