October 2023
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), has announced the first 10 drugs covered under Medicare Part D selected for negotiated pricing to go into effect in 2026. This PharmacyChecker report suggests price targets that Medicare should consider in its negotiation, comparing Medicare 2021 per dosage spending with the per unit prices of drugs available for purchase at Canadian pharmacies.
March 2023
PharmacyChecker data shows that U.S. pharmacy coupons helped U.S. consumers save an average of 72.49% off average retail pharmacy prices at their local pharmacies. Some Americans go online to search for cheaper medication outside the U.S., ending up on PharmacyChecker.com with the thought that a safe Canadian online pharmacy will offer the best price. This data shows that many visitors to PharmacyChecker.com found that a U.S. pharmacy coupon was what they really needed and that the price was much lower here than in Canada.
January 2023
Price comparisons of the most searched-for prescription drugs on Pharmacychecker.com in 2022 showed patients can save an average of 78.35% off what they would pay out-of-pocket at their local U.S. pharmacy by opting to order internationally from PharmacyChecker-accredited online pharmacies.
September 2022
This report identifies drugs most likely to be eligible for negotiated pricing under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2026 based on (1) the top drugs by total expenditures in Medicare Part D in 2020, (2) dates of initial FDA approval, and (3) projected year for generic availability. We suggest price targets that Medicare should consider in its negotiation, comparing Medicare 2020 spending with the prices of drugs available for purchase at Canadian pharmacies. In consideration of the hundreds of millions of Americans that will not benefit from the drug pricing provisions in the IRA, those without adequate prescription drug coverage, PharmacyChecker compares average out-of-pocket U.S. retail prices with prices obtained via mail-order international pharmacies accredited through the PharmacyChecker Verification Program. Lastly, in line with its ongoing research of where drugs are made, PharmacyChecker identifies the manufacturing origin of those drugs.
July 2022
This PharmacyChecker drug price report analyzes both the price and country of origin of 30 inhalers listed by the U.S. FDA as “Drug Treatments for Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease that Do Not Use Chlorofluorocarbons.” The data shows that 77 percent of brand inhalers sold in the United States are manufactured outside the United States. Ten out of the 30 inhalers (33%) have generic availability on U.S. pharmacy shelves, which did not always equate to significant consumer savings compared to the international mailorder pharmacy price. Of the 27 brand inhalers accessible at accredited online pharmacies, international mail-order prices were 78.37% lower than average U.S. pharmacy retail prices.
May 2022
PharmacyChecker looked at the top 20 drugs found on specialty tiers, as identified in a Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) government report, ranked by 2017 gross Part D spending, finding that 14 out of the 20 drugs (70%) are manufactured abroad. In 2020, spending increased by an average of 64.54% on 12 of those Medicare Part D specialty drugs. Thirteen of the medications are available via mail order from international pharmacies for an average savings of 74.84% off the U.S. retail pharmacy price. Online pharmacies, accredited through PharmacyChecker, work with dispensing pharmacies in Canada, Australia, India, Mauritius, New Zealand, Turkey, and/or the UK.
April 2022
When it comes to prescription drug affordability in 2022, Canada isn’t always the answer. If a patient is prescribed a generic medication, the coupon price at their local pharmacy often beats out the potential savings that await them at online pharmacies. PharmacyChecker looked at the top ten most searched for generic medications on PharmacyChecker.com to reveal that these commonly-prescribed drugs are an average of 54.76% cheaper if purchased from local U.S. pharmacies with a coupon rather than ordered internationally from a vetted online pharmacy. The low Canadian drug prices people often talk up are those on patented, brand-name drugs, which are much more affordable when ordered online from reputable foreign pharmacies that ship to the United States – not only from Canada but from Australia, India, New Zealand, Turkey, and the UK among others.
