Growing Trend: Americans Looking To Canada For Prescription Drugs
DENVER (CBS4) - CBS4 Investigator Rick Sallinger looked into the trend of people going north of the border for life-saving medicine as a way around the skyrocketing prices of prescription drugs.
Robyn O'Brien is one angry mother. She's mad at the biggest seller of the EpiPen.
"I cannot think of a business model built on the backs of American kids that have gouged American families quite like this one," O'Brien said.
She needs the EpiPen for her daughter Tory to counteract allergic reactions.
"I was covered with redness and irritation … my reaction to the Nutella and hazelnuts," Tory said.
An EpiPen two pack is now six times more expensive than in 2009 in the U.S. Mylan, the EpiPen seller responded by offering a cheaper generic version and coupons.
"Parents can drive to Canada and get the same device that costs American families over $600," O'Brien said. "In Canada it costs just over $100."
In fact, they don't even have to drive. The internet is full of what are labeled Canadian pharmacies. CBS4 contacted one called canadadrugs.com in Winnipeg.
"Why is it cheaper there than if I buy it here?" Sallinger asked a Canada Drugs representative.
CBS4 was told because in Canada the government controls the prices. That sounded good, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said "prescription drugs may only be sold by licensed pharmacies and other dispensers that are licensed in the United States."
"You are not licensed by the U.S. government; so can I legally import this?" Sallinger asked the Canada Drugs representative. He was told he could.
But CBS4 dug a little deeper and found Canada Drugs was issued a warning letter by the FDA in 2012 for offering unapproved and misbranded drugs. In 2014 it was indicted on federal criminal charges of conspiracy to smuggle goods into the Unites States.
"Would you use this Canada Drugs website to order drugs into the U.S.? Sallinger asked Dr. Gina Moore, Assistant Dean of the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy.
"No," she replied.
Sallinger showed her the internet pharmacy CBS4 had contacted.
"There is no guarantee of the potency of those drugs. We've seen in some cases there are toxic ingredients as part of those drugs," Moore said.
But Tim Smith of the Canadian International Pharmacy Association had a different opinion.
"There is absolutely no safety risk whatsoever because the quality of the medication is comparable to the medications received in United States," Smith said.
CBS4 found one chain of Denver area doctors, New West Physicians, provides a list of what it calls "vetted" Canadian pharmacies to patients as a source for cheaper drugs, but it does not endorse them.
"It's cheaper to buy a ticket to Europe and fly to Europe to get your EpiPens than it is to buy a couple of sets of EpiPens here in the United States," O'Brien said.
