Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Pros and Cons of Cheap Canadian Drugs

Canadian drugs are typically shipped across the world. Thanks to rulings set by Health Canada, many drugs are exported from Canadian provinces thanks to the lower costs. These rulings stop extortion of prescription prices by drug manufacturers, which permits more people to have access to the drugs that they need.

However, Canadian drugs have the disadvantage of being constantly monitored. Unlike in the United States, there are many types of drugs that have not passed the vigorous guidelines imposed by Health Canada. The affected drugs span over the counter medications as well as prescription drugs.

By taking a hard line stance on the rules relating to Canadian drugs, Health Canada works to protect the individuals of Canada from exposure to drugs that have undesired health problems associated with their use. By heavily regulating who can use experimental class drugs, Health Canada has stopped some cases of drug manufacturers selling products to individuals that have not proven safe for use over time. However, it is this same position that bans many from having the ability to take untested prescriptions that might make the difference in life or death treatments of exotic or difficult to treat diseases and ailments.

Exporting Canadian drugs to other countries may not help you get the cheaper prescriptions you want or desire. While this may apply for some people looking for specific prescriptions, the importation of these prescriptions into the United States is regulated. In many cases, the levy imposed on prescriptions entering the United States will put those prescriptions at equal price with what you pay in the drug stores. Instead of paying the difference to the drug manufacturers, you pay taxes to government instead.

As the rulings set by Health Canada are strict, there are less drug manufacturers located in Canada than in the United States. Canadian drugs manufactured by these drug manufacturers tend to have a higher reputation of quality and control. However, this is not always the situation. In some scenarios, such as in government regulated and grown medicinal marijuana, the effectiveness is lower than can be acquired on the illegal markets.

There are some cases where you can purchase high strength Canadian drugs over the counter without doctor approval. The availability of these medications is limited by province and availability. Transporting these medications out of country can also cause some problems. If you're considering exporting these medications back for personal use, please retain the receipt, as you will need it at any border crossing where you might undergo questioning.

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