Photo Credit: by @CANPharmacyWorld
In the world of online Canadian pharmacies, low-prices and big promises can be extremely tempting, but if you’re not careful, you can be left out of pocket and at risk. We break down the ways you can stay safe when using online Canadian pharmacies, how to spot fake pharmacies, and why you and your family can always trust Canadian Pharmacy World with your medication needs.
Every day, millions of Americans are being ripped off. If you’re reading this, that probably includes you too. While gas, meat and liquor are very affordable in the States, medication is not. In fact, Americans pay more for drugs than almost any other country in the world. So while cheap steaks and whisky might make for a good barbecue, they won’t save your life.
According to research for Reuters, people in the US pay three times more than Great Britain for the 20 top-selling medicines. An IHS Markit report on price gouging in pharmaceuticals revealed that drugs sold in the US were on average 56% cheaper in other developed nations.
Why are drugs so expensive in America? A primary reason is that price of medicine is set not by the government but by the market. Drug manufacturers are free to set prices at whatever they feel the market can handle and have no obligation to lower them.
The pharmaceutical industry blames the high price of drugs on the cost of research and development, but critics argue that those numbers are grossly inflated, and that Americans are effectively subsidising the development of drugs for other nations.
Drugs are not a luxury. They literally stop us from dying or from having miserable, painful lives. Americans therefore have no choice but to pay top dollar for medicine that costs considerably less in other countries, and with 55% of Americans taking prescription drugs regularly, that’s a lot of people who are effectively being ripped off. That is, of course, unless you get your prescription drugs through an online Canadian pharmacy.
In Canada, drugs are on average 65% cheaper than in the States. Why are drugs cheaper in Canada? Because the Canadian government sets the prices, not the pharmaceutical companies. More and more Americans are turning to Canadian online pharmacies to safely purchase prescription drugs.
In a recent survey, 98% of respondents said that they believe purchasing drugs through an online Canadian pharmacy is safe, and would recommend it to family and friends. But while it can be perfectly safe to purchase drugs through a verified online pharmacy such as Canadian Pharmacy World, it is vital to safeguard yourself against buying drugs from a rogue trader, which can leave you either with unsafe drugs or an empty wallet with nothing to show for it.
There are a number of rogue pharmacies, often run by criminal organisations, that deliberately mislead customers with tempting offers and selling them poor quality or counterfeit drugs. They may appear to be on the level, but there are a few key ways you can tell the difference between certified online Canadian pharmacies and rogue traders out to deceive you.
The dangers of unverified online pharmacies
Unverified online pharmacies are not restricted to the dark and shady parts of the internet. They are easily found through normal search engines. If you head to Google, Bing or Yahoo and type in ‘Viagra’, one of the most in-demand prescription drugs, it won’t take you long before you come across a number of seemingly reputable websites offering erectile dysfunction medication.
These sites may have convincing names and well-designed frontages that are designed to make you think it’s real, but there are a number of tell-tale signs that things aren’t what they appear.
A number of these sites will offer to sell you prescription drugs without a prescription, or “no script” as it is sometimes known. This is clearly illegal, but in some circumstances customers might be persuaded to take the risk. For example, erectile dysfunction can be a source of embarrassment for men, so to avoid having to tell their physician, some men turn to these sites to buy Viagra in secret. The catch? The website charges an exorbitant fee for pills that more than likely are not Viagra, or may not even turn up at all.
A clear danger of purchasing drugs from an unverified online pharmacy is that you have no idea what you’re actually buying. Pills could contain the drug that the label says, or it could contain trace amounts of it. It could just be coloured chalk pressed into a tablet, or it could be something altogether more harmful.
But suppose that a pharmacy does actually provide customers with the drugs it claims to. Who is to say that those customers should be able to buy them? Without doctors and properly trained medical staff to advise, customers are self-medicating, which can have disastrous results. As part of a Daily Mail investigation, journalists were able to purchase so-called ‘abortion pills’ in “less than three minutes” for around £100 ($131) with “minimal questions asked about age or health issues.”
How do I know I can trust an online Canadian pharmacy?
There are a number of simple but important ways to protect yourself when purchasing drugs online. The first and easiest way to set your mind at ease is to check that the pharmacy is fully approved. Reliable online Canadian pharmacies should be accredited by CIPA (Canadian International Pharmacy Association).
CIPA is a Canadian association of retail pharmacies that licences online pharmacies - only 66 of them are eligible to carry CIPA’s seal of recommendation. If you want to find out if a pharmacy is accredited or not, consult CIPA’s list of verified pharmacies.
Erectile dysfunction medication is particularly in demand for customers using online Canadian pharmacies; you can see from this Google Trends report that the top three related searches to “canadian pharmacy online” are “viagra online”, “viagra”, and “viagra online canadian pharmacy”. In the US you need a prescription for Viagra and other generic erectile dysfunction medicines, so while the promise of cheap prices coupled with a promise of “no script” may seem tempting, it’s simply not worth the risk.
On Canadian Pharmacy World, we offer branded medications, generic equivalents and different dosages. If you go with a generic equivalent, we may provide different versions from different countries, helping you to make an informed choice. When you click on a dosage, you will able to check out more information such as prices per unit, country, quantities, and manufacturer details. We also provide product images for most popular medications, so you can check that you’re buying the right medication.
Price is another thing to be aware of. While drugs are certainly cheaper in Canada, they’re not ludicrously cheap. In the US, the list price of a single Viagra pill is around $60. On Canadian Pharmacy World, Viagra works out at about $21 per pill, which is roughly what you would expect, referring to the average 65% drop in price between the US and Canada that we mentioned earlier. Go for a generic and you can save even more; the average price of generic equivalent of Viagra is around $15 in US. On Canadian Pharmacy World, the generic Sildenafil has pricings from $0.53 - $2.26 per pill, depending on country of origin (Canada, UK or India).
Economies of scale and country of origin will of course have a role to play - a 24-pack of Viagra imported from Turkey will offer better value - but any price that seems too good to be true almost certainly isn’t true at all. Use the 65% figure as a benchmark when making judgements about an online pharmacy.
Canadian Pharmacy World also offers Cialis and other ED medications from Canada and other international countries. Prices may vary depending on suppliers. Please use our toll-free number to consult with a customer service agent on 1.866.485.7979 or email CustomerService@canadianpharmacyworld.com
What does a valid prescription look like?
In your experiences with online pharmacies, you may have come across the phrase ‘no script’. This is a colloquial term meaning ‘no prescription necessary’. This should be a huge warning sign. Under no circumstances should you buy drugs from a pharmacy that doesn’t require you to have a valid prescription, except when purchasing over-the-counter drugs. Canadian Pharmacy World requires all customers to have a valid prescription when purchasing prescription drugs, and any credible online pharmacy will ask you to do the same.
A valid prescription requires the following:
-- A copy of the original prescription
-- The details of the doctor’s office
-- The date of the prescription
-- The patient’s full name, the medication name, dosage, direction, quantity, and the refill, if required
-- Signed by your physician or a healthcare professional
Canadian Pharmacy World usually provides three month’s supply, according to the patient’s prescription. Patients can order a refill with a year as long as there is a refill on the prescription. If it’s a prescription-required item, all you need to do is send in your prescription via email, fax, mail, or upload on the website. We will call you to confirm the order within 24 hours after receiving your prescription.
Photo Credit: A Vaid Prescription, by @CANPharmacyWorld
A safe and satisfied customer
Aside from the key points raised above, there a number of other clues that can help you make a smart and informed decision when purchasing from an online Canadian pharmacy. To use this website as an example: Canadian Pharmacy World provides a physical address, phone numbers and call centre hours. You can get in touch any day of the week and speak to a customer representative, as any credible online pharmacy should.
Does the pharmacy provide an address, contact numbers and call centre hours? Do they have social media channels? If so, are they active and informed? You can check out Canadian Pharmacy World on Twitter (@CANPharmacyWorld) and Facebook (@CANPharmacyWorld), or read any of the articles on the blog. In addition, does the site have reviews from customers? Do they offer proper credit card protection on purchases? Is the website mobile-friendly? These are the kind of things you should be noticing when using one of these websites.
But above all, the key things to look for when buying from an online Canadian pharmacy are:
CIPA verification, requires a prescription from your doctor, and quotes prices that are realistic. Canadian Pharmacy World adheres to all three of these key requirements, and all of the other marks of quality mentioned as well, so you can be safe in the knowledge that when you buy your medication here, you’re buying from a fully verified and licenced Canadian online pharmacy.
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Richard Cooper is a writer based in London, United Kingdom, covering health and lifestyle with a focus on mental health. He loves pizza and if you buy him a slice, he's yours.
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