US Citizens Buying Drugs From Canadian Pharmacies

[MajorDoobage]

I'm hoping the FC community can shed some light on this topic for me.

My father-in-law has been suffering from chronic gout for about a decade now. He's in a particularly precarious situation as he is allergic/non-responsive to most traditional methods for treating gouty flares (allopurinol, indomethacin + other NSAIDS, steroids, etc). There is one drug named colchicine that he can take prophylactically to prevent these attacks. Colchicine may also be taken during acute attacks to reduce MSU (monosodium urate) crystal formation.

Herein lies the problem. Colchicine is a plant-based drug that's been used for decades to treat gout and other ailments. Since the 1950s, colchicine has been distributed in pill form by pharmacists with little to no problems. About 2 years ago, URL pharma created their own colchicine pills, spent millions of dollars testing the safety and efficacy, and then started selling these new pills as Colcrys. Once Colcrys hit the market, URL persuaded the FDA to remove generic colchicine from the market because they claimed it was untested, and the safety had not been established.

Imagine that, a pharmaceutical company develops a pill that's virtually identical to the existing generic pill, and then has a monopoly on the market. This wouldn't be so bad, if the price hadn't skyrocketed from about $.50/pill to $5.00/pill! This happened almost overnight, and without warning. A lot of gout sufferers retell the same story: They went to the pharmacy one day to get the same colchicine prescription filled that they've been getting for years, only to find that the price increased by a factor of 10!

I know colchicine is still sold pretty much everywhere other than the US as the cheaper generic pill. Does anyone know how to obtain generic colchicine from Canadian or other online drug stores? It seems as though most places require a perscription. I don't know how I'd get one seeing as I'm trying to buy them for someone else. Also I live in northeast Ohio, I guess I could always drive up to Toronto with my wife's father... It all seems so convoluted

I'd hate for this thread to be deleted because of the questionably legal status of buying Canadian pharmaceuticals in the US. Colchicine has no potential for abuse. I am reaching out to help my father-in-law who cannot afford to pay $500-$1000/month for a pill that used to be dirt cheap. Any help would be appreciated

 

[crawdad]

cant offer any advice but wanted to say best of luck to your father in law.

 

[MajorDoobage]

Thanks crawdad! Gout is a pretty debilitating disease

 

[VWFringe]

isn't lecithin a precursor for colchicine? i used to eat a tablespoon a day of lecithin thinking it would help my long term memory (back when i cared, or before i forgot i cared)

I was very impressed with how Michael Moore portrayed getting perscriptions filled in Cuba, they have inhalers there for five cents that cost twenty-nine bucks here, and it's easy and free to see a doctor. Take a vacation to sunny Cuba...?

EDIT: just found out after Sicko came out the Bush administration started investigating those 9/11 Rescue Workers who went there for medical treatment because they don't authorize permits for people to travel there for medical care. I don't know if that means no one gets to travel there, or what.

 

[MajorDoobage]

isn't lecithin a precursor for colchicine? i used to eat a tablespoon a day of lecithin thinking it would help my long term memory (back when i cared, or before i forgot i cared)

I was very impressed with how Michael Moore portrayed getting perscriptions filled in Cuba, they have inhalers there for five cents that cost twenty-nine bucks here, and it's easy and free to see a doctor. Take a vacation to sunny Cuba...?

LOL VW I don't think Lecithin has anything to do with colchicine. I couldn't find a link anyway ;-)
Taking a trip to Cuba wouldn't be such a bad idea, if it were legal. I thought Obama was going to allow US citizens to lawfully visit Cuba... I guess that never happened

Just like cannabis laws, these restrictions are outdated and were founded based on propaganda. Its amazing how they're still on the books in 2011.

 

[WatTyler]

It sounds dodgy perhaps, but have you thought about an online mail order pharmacy overseas? I think I've read somewhere about folk buying medicine from Indian/Pakistani pharmacys for much cheaper, and they don't always require a prescription. But that's all I know. Maybe an option, although not without its risks.

Although I got dysentry in India, but the drugs to put me right worked fine.

 

[aesthyrian]

^ I have known several people who have been forced to do just that thanks America's shitty health care system. One of them is my own mother. Her stuff always clears customs no problems, but of course there is always the chance it wont.

 

[VWFringe]

it strikes me that suggesting you take your dad on a vacation to Cuba may have sounded insensitive, sorry it did.
there is an online drug seller's forum that uses funny money you buy for the transactions, I don't know whether they'd have the needed pharmaceuticals or how their value would compare to prices outside the US, but you get to see their seller rating...another avenue of attack in your war perhaps.

 

[jackmormon]

Majordoobage,

It is legal to import up to a 90 day supply of prescription medication from Canada with a valid prescription from a US doctor. The legit pharmacies will make you fax a copy of the prescription. I am seeing Colchicine for $.40 - $.85 per pill based on the size of the pill. Just google "canadian pharmacies" and you will find hundreds of links.

A couple of good safety factors. Only order from a pharmacy that requires a prescription. Only pay with a credit card. This way you are legal and can get your money back if there are delivery problems.

EDIT---The patent system in the US on medications is basically a violent ass-rape of US Citizens. Gotta love our gub'ment and especially the FDA. (Our elected officials protect the corporations not the people who really need protecting.)

 

[Tuck]

I feel your pain, sir. I have asthma and a couple years ago my normal inhaler was banned because it used cfc's to deliver the albuterol. There is a patent in the hfa inhalers so now Ipay $150 for a 90 day supply, when I used to pay $25 for the same amount of the banned inhalers.

I may have to explore using canadian pharmacies.Thanks for the idea.

 

[MajorDoobage]

@Aesthyrian: Thanks for relaying your mom's experience. I'm glad to know some people have had success exploring the Canadian pharma option.

@VW: I didn't think your comment was callous at all! Quite the opposite actually, your suggestion satirically pointed out how disastrous US healthcare has become. I don't know if buying from that underground marketplace is an option. I can't see too many gout sufferers infiltrating the black market. Colchicine isn't exactly a hot commodity

@Jack: That's the kind of info I was looking for! So really all you need is to fax a script and pay with credit card? I thought the process was more convoluted than that . This whole Colcrys fiasco is but one example of how big pharma is robbing the middle and lower class. You're absolutely right, the government only exists to serve the interests of big corporations and their profits.

@Tuck: Wow... just wow. Sorry to hear about your experience as well. On the plus side, isn't cannabis a bronchodilator? I'm not sure how effective cannabis is for asthma as a monotherapy

 

[aesthyrian]

@Aesthyrian: Thanks for relaying your mom's experience. I'm glad to know some people have had success exploring the Canadian pharma option.

I should add that she gets her drugs from India mostly. I would imagine a package from India would be more scrutinized than one from Canada. Once again, there is always that chance though. And while some people have no option but to take that chance, I would recommend not taking the chance if you do have another means of obtaining the medication.

I really wish you much luck, and I will continue to be an advocate for a single payer, Medicare for all health care system so that hopefully someday our Country will start to take care of it's own citizens.