Washington, D.C. - A new price comparison of the most sought-after brand-name prescription drugs reveals that average Canadian drug prices are 54% to 90% cheaper than leading U.S. pharmacy prices. The Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation (CPPI) analysis compares prices at leading U.S. pharmacy competitors including AmazonPharmacy, CVS, GoodRx, and Walgreens against online Canadian pharmacies.
According to a poll released in March 2023 by YouGov America, 37 percent or 123 million Americans have skipped filling a prescription due to costs.
“54 to 90 percent savings on drug prices at online Canadian pharmacies can literally mean life or death for millions of Americans. While the Inflation Reduction Act promises lower prices in the future on a few prescription medications, Americans who need access to critical daily medications now are turning to personal prescription importation” says Jack Pfeiffer, Executive Director of CPPI. “Thousands of Americans use licensed Canadian pharmacies annually, to purchase their daily prescription medications at affordable prices. We believe that all Americans have a right to affordable medications.”
HOW TO SAVE ON Rx SAFELY
Purchasing prescription medications for importation from licensed and certified online Canadian pharmacies is safe and easy. Annually, Americans receive over 1 million prescriptions from online Canadian pharmacies. For decades, FDA guidance has helped people safely import medications. Online pharmacies recommended by CPPI like those certified by the Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) report a 100% perfect safety record while serving millions of American customers since 2002.
SAVINGS CPPI 2022 survey data shows that Americans importing prescription drugs save an average of $312 a month ($3,744 a year) on medication from licensed Canadian pharmacies. 95% of respondents cited the high cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. as the primary reason for ordering from licensed online Canadian pharmacies. For years, CPPI tracking has shown that Canadian drug prices offer savings on leading name-brand prescription drugs of over 50%.
COMPARISON METHODOLOGY & NOTES
This comparison reflects prices for 30-day supplies of top-selling brand-name medications using the most common strengths prescribed to patients. Prices recorded as of September 28, 2021. Pricing and discounts do fluctuate day by day. The recorded percentages reflect savings offered by certified online Canadian pharmacies over the lowest U.S. discount price, be those from Amazon Prime or a traditional U.S. pharmacy as reported by GoodRx. All prices are in U.S. dollars. This comparison reflects prices without insurance.
Canadian mail-order prescription pricing is calculated using the average price of pharmacies certified by the Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA). Canadian product pricing is for Health Canada-approved brand-name products, dispensed by a pharmacy licensed in Canada. Over 70 websites have CIPA certification, and prices vary. Certified online pharmacies do not sell controlled substances, narcotics, pseudoephedrine products, or highly temperature-sensitive products including Botox, Insulin, Victoza, Saxenda.
Prices for U.S. pharmacies were compared through GoodRx, and the lowest discount/coupon prices are reflected in the U.S./GoodRx column. GoodRx gathers current prices, coupons, and discounts from leading traditional pharmacy operators including CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Costco, Safeway, Albertsons, Publix and other pharmacies.