Table of Contents

I. Convenience

II. Safety

III. Savings

IV. Supply

If you live in America, you understand how expensive prescription medications can get. Perhaps you have considered buying your prescription medications online through a Canadian pharmacy website like Canada Pharmacy Depot. But buying anything online can be risky. If you’re weighing the pros and cons of buying from an online pharmacy, this article is for you.

Convenience

Pros

Shopping online can be extremely convenient! Because online pharmacies can ship directly to a customer’s door, you can order what you need from the comfort of your own home. This can be immensely helpful to older patients, patients with disabilities or mobility issues, rural folks, and folks without a car.

Online pharmacies like Canada Pharmacy Depot may also accept various types of payment, and pharmacies certified by the Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) take great steps to protect consumer privacy.[1]

Cons

Even though it’s very convenient, shopping online does have drawbacks. The most significant drawback is that you can’t receive your drug products right away. Shipping drugs across borders may also take up more time.

In addition, American insurance is not accepted at pharmacy websites like Canada Pharmacy Depot. You are also unable to use cash if that is what you prefer.

Safety

Pros

The benefit of buying from your local brick-and-mortar pharmacy is that you can be certain the medicine you’re buying has passed strict regulation requirements.

But you can be certain of this too when you buy prescription drugs online. So long as you buy from a CIPA-certified website like Canada Pharmacy Depot, you can rest assured that your medicine comes from licensed, approved pharmacies. This is because we only ship medicine from pharmacies licensed by their respective jurisdictions.

How can you know if a CIPA certification is enough? Well, it’s linked to by the Government of British Columbia, so it’s trusted by the authorities. CIPA pharmacies also boast a 100% safety record.[2]

Cons

It's challenging to identify a reputable pharmacy website. Any website can copy and paste the CIPA logo onto their homepage to make themselves look legitimate. This is why it’s important to cross-reference a pharmacy you come across with the list of approved ones on CIPA’s official website.

Savings

Pros

The savings offered at online pharmacies can be immense! By not needing to pay for retail space and middlemen, you can save significantly by buying directly from a mail-order pharmacy.

By buying medicine from jurisdictions like Canada, Americans can also save up to 80-90% on their prescription medicine. This is because drug prices in countries like Canada are strictly regulated. In Canada, the Patented Medicines Review Board negotiates with pharmaceutical companies to ensure drug prices remain reasonable for most Canadians, no matter their income bracket.[3]

Currently, no such system exists in the United States. But in countries like France and the U.K., negotiations exist, and drugs from there may even be cheaper than in Canada. [4]

Cons

A downside to online pharmacies is that American insurance is not accepted at places like Canada Pharmacy Depot. Nor are local coupons accepted at most places. And occasionally, a generic medication at your local brick-and-mortar pharmacy may be cheaper.[5]

Supply

Pros

At Canada Pharmacy Depot, we ship drugs from not just Canada, but from areas around the world like the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand. If your drug is unavailable from the U.K., you may be able to access the same drug from New Zealand. The only difference may be slight packaging differences.

That being said, we can’t guarantee an unlimited supply, of course. But the same can be said about a brick-and-mortar pharmacy. Going to a brick-and-mortar pharmacy is even more inconvenient when you deliberately make the trip only to discover that the facility doesn’t have your drug stocked.

Moreover, other countries may have cheaper, generic versions of drugs that are not yet off-patent in the United States, giving you further savings.[6]

Cons

Unfortunately, responsible online pharmacies cannot ship every possible drug under the sun. While we boast a large inventory, as a CIPA-certified website, Canada Pharmacy Depot is not allowed to ship controlled substances such as:

• Narcotic painkillers, including morphine, fentanyl, and codeine
• Stimulants, such as Adderall, Ritalin, and Concerta
• Tranquilizers (anti-anxiety medications), like Xanax and Valium

We are also unable to ship insulin at this time. We understand that insulin is an extremely expensive drug required by many Americans just to live, and this may change in the future. However, at this time, we are unable to ship insulin because this product requires certain storage requirements (like refrigeration) that cannot be arranged.

Ready to experience the benefits first-hand?

Now that you've learned a little more about buying your medications from an online Canadian pharmacy, it's time to place your first order online. Search your medication name, follow the directions, and get your medications shipped straight to your doorstep with huge savings!

The content provided in this article is based on thorough research and in some cases, reviewed by a medical professional. Our goal for the information is to provide helpful, general health informational. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice.