A box of 5 pens (3 ml each) equals 15 mls per box? That means that we get 15 mls = ONE TABLESPOON PER BOX - for $600 to $900?? What is wrong with this picture!!?
Living in Canada, I pay around $50 for 5 fast acting pens, and $80 for 5 long acting pens, before insurance. So there must be something seriously wrong with that picture! Big pharma is getting rich off of you for sure 
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Vika - it seems incredibly ridiculous! But they’ve got us. Nothing we can do…
Thank you for responding. Perhaps I should be getting my insulin from Canada - but not sure how to go about.
If you live near the border you could just drive up and buy it from any pharmacy here. You don’t need a perception to buy insulin in Canada.
Unfortunately I’m not all that close to Canada. Was wondering if I could get it mail order and if insurance would pay as usual. Thank you, Vika!
I don’t know about that, not having American insurance and all. I also only know of one actual Canadian Pharmacy that will ship insulin to the US, but I’m pretty sure they would want a script from your American physician (to abide by US laws). They are located in Vancouver and they are called Mark’s Marine Pharmacy https://rxcanada4less.com
Actually living in Canada mind you, I don’t know what their customer service is like because I get my insulin from my local Shopper’s Drug Mart when I have my other scripts filled, or from Diabetes Express if I dont need to fill my other scripts and am feeling lazy, but Diabetes Express doesn’t ship to the USA (and they also cost more than my local pharmacy).
I’m sure there are some American members around here who would know more around here.
Vika - THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
I’ll look into that. It’s not a huge issue right now moneywise until hubby retires in couple yrs. He’s 2.3 yrs older.
Oh my…this is awful. It will save a lot if I get them parceled here
Are you sure you are paying the “street price” and not the “negotiated price?” If you go to an Canadian online pharmacy and look up the price for something a Humalog Pen for shipment to the US, it is $581.59. The Canadian drug market is highly regulated and the prices are set by the government for Canadian citizens. While as a Canadian you can walk up and get that price you are walking a fine line by traveling to Canada as a US citizen and purchasing insulin for export in this way. The pharmaceutical companies have caught on to this and while you may be able to evade the enforcement it would seem kinda risky. Has anyone else been able to obtain exported prescription insulin in Canada for much cheaper than the US?
That is the street price from my pharmacy. The price will differ a bit from pharmacy to pharmacy, as pharmacies charge a dispensing fee. So, it tends to me a bit mores pensive at Co-op than Walmart. Maybe $15 more. However, the insulin isn’t subsidised by anyone. The government doesn’t subsidise insulin, but rather it regulates the maximum price a patentee can demand for their product. You can read all about drug
price regulations in Canada here: http://www.pmprb-cepmb.gc.ca/en/regulating-prices/regulatory-process
Canadian pharmacies also are not required to jack up thei prices to sell to Americans. Whatever websites you are consulting are trying to make a hefty profit off of you, and I wouldn’t order from them. Most of those companies that specifically target Americans raise the prices considerably and won’t even actually sell to Canadians because then they wouldn’t be able to get any where near the profit margins that they get when selling to Americans. Somewhere like Mark’s Markne Pharmacy does in fact ship to Canadians, which is a dead give away, that, while they do raise their price some ($150 for 5 pens vs $75-100 depending in where you go, they aren’t doing it to the extent of those other pharmacies, but rather much more like other online pharmacies that also sell to Canadian, like Diabetes Express. You pay a bit more for the convenience of not having to your house. But not hundreds of dollars more.
As far as actual diving up and buying insulin from a brick and mortar store, going over the boarder with it shouldn’t be an issue. Insulin is OTC here (so acquiring it will be no problem) and while prescription in the US, CBP and TSA only require a doctor’s note or a copy of your script, that the medication be available in the USA, that it be in its original container, and that you don’t bring in more than a 90 day supply for your personal use. The rules are here: 5 Tips for Traveling to the U.S. With Medications | FDA
So I don’t think driving up here to buy insulin is really walking that fine a line, provided you have the necessary documentation. Perhaps I’m misunderstanding something and you could clarify?
Aw far as actually importing it from online, like I said, being Canadian, I know that it is legal here to sell to Americans, but other Americans should advise on the legality of importing it state side. Or do their own research.
Canadian pharmacies will export to the US with certain restrictions, but you don’t get the regulated price. Canadian drug prices are cheaper based on the strength of the US dollar against the Canadian dollar and whether you can swing purchasing insulin as though you are Canadian. I just am not aware that Canadian pharmacies are able to export drugs to the US at the regulated prices.
Here is the FDA guidance on this subject. Basically you can import for personal use if you satisfy ALL the criteria below:
- if the intended use is for a serious condition for which effective treatment may not be available domestically
- if the product is not considered to represent an unreasonable risk
- if the individual seeking to import the drug affirms in writing that it is for the patient’s own use and provides the name and address of the U.S.-licensed doctor responsible for his or her treatment with the drug or provides evidence that the drug is for continuation of a treatment begun in a foreign country
- if the product is for personal use and is a three-month supply or less and not for resale, since larger amounts would lend themselves to commercialization
- if there is no known commercialization or promotion to U.S. residents by those involved in distribution of the product.
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Thanks a bunch for the great info, Brian!
In the USA, there is no corrilation between the cost to produce a medication such as insulin and the retail pharmacy price. It is more about how high can they jack the price up and remain on the formulary list of the major insurance companies. Big Phrama are about making big bucks for their exec employees while paying near minimum wage to the rank and file that actually do the work. And insurance is no better…they would rather deny coverage than have the patient get and stay healthy.
We need to restructure the health care system so that the focus is on health care delivery instead of on transfer of wealth.
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