A comparison of brand-name drug prices between Canadian-based Internet pharmacies and major U.S. drug chain pharmacies.
BACKGROUND
Many Americans have been purchasing their medications from online Canadian pharmacies. Although it is commonly perceived that medications are less expensive in Canada than in the United States, little research has been done to quantify this difference.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the prices of retail brand-name medications between Canadian Internet pharmacies and major U.S. drug chain pharmacies with online pricing.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
12 Canadian Internet pharmacies and 3 major online U.S. drug chain pharmacies.


METHODS
The authors calculated the per unit and annual savings (in U.S. dollars) for an American if he or she were to buy the 44 brand-name medications most commonly purchased through the Internet from Canadian Internet pharmacies instead of from an online U.S. drug chain pharmacy.


RESULTS
Americans can save a mean of approximately 24% per unit of drug if they purchase their medications from Canadian Internet pharmacies instead of from major online U.S. drug chain pharmacies. Forty-one of the 44 brand-name medications examined were less expensive in Canada. The medications offering the largest mean yearly savings were Zyprexa (olanzapine) (Eli Lilly, Indianapolis, Indiana) (1159 dollars), Actos (pioglitazone) (Eli Lilly, Indianapolis, Indiana) (852 dollars), and Nexium (esomeprazole) (AstraZeneca, Wilmington, Delaware) (772 dollars). Only 3 medications, all in the erectile dysfunction category, were more expensive in Canada.


CONCLUSIONS
Potential savings may vary because of temporal fluctuations in drug prices.


CONCLUSIONS
Brand-name medications are often substantially less expensive when purchased from Canadian Internet pharmacies instead of from major online U.S. drug chain pharmacies.
Quon
Bradley S
BS
St. Paul's Hospital and Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Firszt
Rafael
R
Eisenberg
Mark J
MJ
D002170:Canada; D017046:Cost Savings; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics*; D020407:Internet; D010330:Patents as Topic; D010594:Pharmacies / Q000191:economics*; D011306:Prescription Fees; D014481:United States