Can U.S. doctors send prescriptions to Canada?

Yes, doctors in the U.S. can and do send prescriptions to Canadian pharmacies.

Canadian provinces require that pharmacies dispense medications pursuant to a valid prescription authorized by a Canadian practitioner. Therefore, U.S. prescriptions received by a Canadian pharmacy must be approved by a Canadian physician, who issues a Canadian prescription, prior to it being filled. This practice is often referred to as cosigning. We view the cosigning process as an additional review of the patient's health profile by a licensed practitioner to determine the suitability of the recommended treatment.

To be clear, a patient or doctor in the U.S. only has to send a prescription. You do not need to worry about finding a Canadian practitioner. The pharmacy will take care of the approval process from there.

Transferring Prescriptions from U.S. Pharmacies to Canadian Pharmacies

Generally, U.S. pharmacies will not transfer your prescription to a Canadian pharmacy. If you decide to buy a medication from a pharmacy in Canada and you have a prescription with a U.S. pharmacy, you'll most likely need to request a new prescription from your provider.

Americans Can Order Prescriptions Medications from Canadian Online Pharmacies

Millions of Americans have ordered medication from Canada, even though it's technically prohibited. That's because it's legal in Canada for licensed pharmacies, meeting the laws of their providences, to dispensed prescription drugs to Americans.

We recommend that you stick to PharmacyChecker-verified Canadian online pharmacies. Patients use PharmacyChecker.com to compare prices among verified pharmacies. Many people that use our comparison tool find their medications at over an 80% discount vs. the prices they see at their local CVS or Walgreens.

Please know that many Canadian online pharmacies fill your orders with pharmacies outside of Canada. For those that are in the PharmacyChecker Verification Program, the partner pharmacies (not just the ones in Canada) are also verified by PharmacyChecker.

Compare Prices for Medications

Local U.S. Pharmacy Savings

Some folks are wary of shopping for their meds online. If you prefer to shop at your local U.S. pharmacy, just scroll to the bottom of your chosen medication's price comparison page. Enter your zip code to find the discounts available in your area. When you choose a pharmacy, click "Print Card for This Pharmacy" and you are all set.

We also offer a search tool for patient assistance programs. Many pharmaceutical companies offer aid with the cost of medications through patient assistance programs.

Patient Assistance Programs

Published 10/3/2018