Drug Importation Ask PharmacyChecker
Generic Viagra is (Mostly) Made in India
June 18, 2025
If you’re prescribed generic sildenafil citrate (U.S. brand name: Viagra), chances are your medication was made in India. Read More
Shipping Advisory for Canadian Online Pharmacy Orders
May 20, 2025
A Canada Post labor disruption may begin as early as Friday, May 23 due to unresolved contract negotiations with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). Read More
Déjà Vu on Trump’s Most-Favored-Nation Drug Pricing Plan
May 13, 2025
Donald Trump recently issued an executive order to cut the price of prescription drugs in the United States in an attempt to bring them more in line with developed countries with comparable drug regulatory authorities. If this sounds familiar, it’s because it is. Read More
The Canada Post Strike’s Impact on International Online Pharmacies and Patients
November 25, 2024
The Canada Post strike, which began on November 15, 2024, has disrupted mail and parcel services across Canada, leaving businesses and individuals scrambling to adapt. Read More
Behind the Label: Unveiling China's Influence on Pharmaceuticals like Trikafta and Imbruvica
April 30, 2024
Notorious for its cheap production costs, many consumer products in the United States are “MADE IN CHINA.” There are long-held concerns when it comes to this dynamic: about our national security, the economic well-being of the American middle class, how poor labor conditions amount to those online d... Read More
Prominent Patient Advocate Regards Importation as Crucial 'Safety Valve' to Affordable Eliquis
January 11, 2024
David Mitchell, president and founder of the advocacy organization Patients For Affordable Drugs, recently told Politico’s Prescription Pulse he used PharmacyChecker.com to find a reputable online pharmacy from which he could order affordable Eliquis.... Read More
Insulin shipped from Canada to the United States — not so fast!
December 20, 2023
The United States Pharmacopeia and Health Canada require that refrigerated medications maintain certain storage conditions throughout shipment and receipt by a patient. Read More
Is it legal to order medication for import into Canada?
May 25, 2023
In Canada, it is illegal for residents to import prescription medication from other countries, except in certain limited circumstances. Read More
Why I Order Eliquis From a Canadian Online Pharmacy
March 24, 2023
I am in line at the pharmacy counter and stifle a gasp when the person in front of me is presented with a $1200 prescription. He pays by credit card with, what appears to me, great hesitation. I’m next. Read More
If I order medication for international import, will my package be seized at the border?
March 10, 2023
If you order medication from abroad for personal use, the chances that it will be held at the border are incredibly slim. While the law allows the FDA and U.S. Read More
FDA's Missed Target In Opioid Crackdown Hits Americans That Can't Afford Their Medications
March 08, 2023
America’s opioid problem isn’t an international mail issue, yet the FDA keeps asking Congress to increase funding in order to expand efforts to seize shipments of opioids.... Read More
Is it legal to order medication for import to Australia? How can Australians order online safely?
November 29, 2022
Importing medicine for personal use in Australia is legal but with important caveats. Australia’s government warns consumers against ordering medicine online because of the dangers of rogue online pharmacies. Read More
Importing Medication Saves Senator Kaine’s Dad ‘A Lot of Money’
June 22, 2022
Senator Tim Kaine’s father is certainly not the only American who imports prescription medication from another country. Millions of Americans each year rely on filling their prescriptions internationally. Read More
Where Your Drug Is Made Depends On Who You Ask
March 30, 2022
Federal Law and Drug Labeling: Differing Definitions of An Imported Drug. Your medication is – most likely – not made in the United States. Read More
PORTAL Research Group Guest Speaker Gabriel Levitt Presents “Not Made in the USA” Key Findings
March 10, 2022
On March 2nd, PORTAL (Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law) Research, led by Dr. Aaron Kesselheim, MD, JD, welcomed Gabriel Levitt, president and co-founder of PharmacyChecker.com, as the meeting’s guest speaker. Read More
Importation as Policy to Lower Prescription Drug Prices
February 14, 2022
The U.S. drug supply chain relies on pharmaceuticals produced in other countries and drugs are priced much lower in those foreign countries. Read More
Not Made in the USA: Our Global Pharmaceutical Supply Chain
February 08, 2022
The finding in this report, that 78% of APIs for the dataset of 100 drugs are imported, appears to corroborate the FDA’s ubiquitous datapoint of 80%, but this dataset consists only of brand name drugs. It is likely that an even higher percentage of generic drugs are imported. Read More
Imported Drugs Accounted for 57% of Overall Spending in Medicare
January 25, 2022
Which prescription drugs are most important to Americans in relation to the issues of drug importation, prices, safety – and even national security? This was a question we asked ourselves when thinking about the impact of our report, Note Made in the USA. Read More
FDA Drug Supply Chain Data Remained Unchanged For 20 Years
January 18, 2022
In 2018, columnist and journalist David Lazarus from the Los Angeles Times wrote about how difficult it was to find out where prescription drugs are made. His article was called, “ Where do prescription drugs come from? Read More
Not Made in the USA: Key Findings
January 12, 2022
Most of the expensive brand name drugs Americans purchase from local U.S. pharmacies are not made here. Read More
Pharmaceutical Companies Don’t Manufacture Most of Your Drugs in the United States
January 05, 2022
Pharmaceutical Companies Don’t Manufacture Your Drugs in the United States. PharmacyChecker published a report called Not Made in the USA: The Global Pharmaceutical Supply Chain and Prospects for Safe Drug Importation. Read More
Big Pharma Takes Advantage of the Surge in Opioid Deaths With New Bill
December 23, 2021
With opioid deaths only surging during the Covid-19 pandemic, this sounds like an excellent idea. But here’s the thing: the FDA already has a program for tackling online opioid drug dealers. So what’s this really about? Read More
Biden's Lukewarm Support of Florida’s Drug Importation Program
June 07, 2021
As a patient consumer looking for information about more affordable prescription drugs on the Internet and from other countries, you may be interested to know the status of a lawsuit brought by the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA or “Big Pharma”). Read More
Let Florida (ahem, but really everyone) Import Prescription Drugs
June 04, 2021
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) is attempting to halt a rule issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under former President Donald Trump that would allow states to import drugs from Canada. Read More
The Role of Online Pharmacies and Personal Importation in the Battle for Lower Drug Prices
April 29, 2021
Last night, in his speech before Congress, President Biden called for allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices to bring down the cost of drugs in the United States. Before thinking this is some liberal vs. conservative, Democrat vs. Read More
State Drug Importation Laws. What’s the deal?
March 05, 2021
Elected leaders of state governments recognize that prescription drug prices are out-of-control expensive in America. After all, the same and most expensive prescription drugs sold here cost on average 75% lower in other high-income countries. Voters are rightfully fuming. Read More
Top 60 U.S. Brand Name Drug Prices 75% Lower Internationally, According to Rand Corporation Study
February 05, 2021
The Rand Corporation has released an impressive study showing that brand name drugs cost far more in the United States than in other countries – on average 344% more. Read More
Biden’s Plan to Lower Drug Prices. Did Trump help pave the way?
December 09, 2020
President-elect Joe Biden asserted that he wants to “put a stop to runaway drug prices and the profiteering of the drug industry.” President Trump is famous for saying the drug companies are “getting away with murder.” Whatever the soundbite, drug prices are too high. Read More
Stuck abroad without your meds? How to get your prescription ASAP.
August 20, 2020
Being stuck far from home is already traumatic and stressful enough. But finding yourself abroad without your medication can be downright dangerous. Read More
How does Trump’s executive order on personal drug importation change anything?
July 27, 2020
Three executive orders were signed by President Donald Trump last week. One of them is all about drug importation: measures already underway and new actions to help Americans buy more affordable prescription drugs from other countries. Read More
How do pharmaceutical companies price drugs?
June 29, 2020
Pharmaceutical companies price drugs to maximize profits. Considering the fact that they are for-profit, publicly-traded companies, operating in a free-market economy, should this surprise us? Read More
How can I save money on Motilium (domperidone)?
June 26, 2020
Domperidone, sold under the brand name Motilium, is a medication prescribed for nausea and vomiting. Patients have also used it to encourage breast milk production, although it is not approved for this use in any country. Read More
How can I save money on Galvus Met (vildagliptin/metformin)? Why is it not approved by the FDA?
May 20, 2020
If you had never heard of Galvus Met or Galvus, you’re not alone. Galvus (vildagliptin) is a diabetes medication approved for market in over 120 countries, including those in the European Union (EU), Japan, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Read More
Namenda (memantine): Made in America; Cheaper Abroad
December 29, 2019
Namenda made in the U.S. is sold outside the U.S. for 94% cheaper. And Americans can easily order it directly to their door. A 94% difference sounds like an exaggerated scam, but it’s sadly (or ‘fortunately’ considering you can take advantage of the cheaper price?) true. Read More
Are drugs sold in Canada identical to those sold in the U.S.?
March 14, 2019
In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—is responsible for regulating medications approved for sale in the United States. Read More
Does Zoloft sold by Pfizer outside the U.S. have the exact same ingredients?
February 12, 2019
Foreign versions of drugs sold in the U.S, like Zoloft, are not exactly the same as the ones sold here. This answer is based on the fact that Zoloft may contain different inactive ingredients. The Zoloft sold in Canadian pharmacies is in capsule form instead of a tablet like in the U.S. Read More
Can Americans legally drive to Mexico to fill a prescription?
December 21, 2018
In general, while it’s technically federally prohibited, you can drive to Mexico, buy medication and bring it back, as long as it's for your personal use. Read More
Can Americans drive to Canada to fill a prescription?
December 11, 2018
In general, you can drive to Canada, buy medication and bring it back, as long as it's for your personal use. When crossing the Canadian border, the U.S. Read More