Sorry … provincial.
Either way, how does that change the over-the-counter price?
If I walk into a pharmacy in Ontario, I pay the same over-the-counter price ($40) as anybody else, regardless of home country.
If I walk into a pharmacy in Florida, I pay the same over-the-counter price ($200) as anybody else, regardless of home country.
Are analog insulins over the counter in Canada?
To add to what @VirginiafromUK says, as well as getting a volume discount for bulk purchases, provinces often negotiate a maximum price with drug manufacturers as a condition for that drug to be listed on the provincial drug formulary (and therefore covered by the public health plan). Once it’s listed on the formulary at a certain price, that’s what everybody pays, whether or not they’re enrolled in a public plan. As well the federal Patented Medicine Prices Review Board is mandated to make sure price increases are reasonable. In the States, there is no regulation of either the entry price or price increases of either patented drugs or generics.
All types are available. A couple of years ago I accidentally left all my insulin on the plane we flew in on from Heathrow? I still had my supply that was in my purse but just went to the pharmacy and bought one pack each of Novorapid and Levemir. I didn’t need a prescription though I had phoned my former family doctor to arrange one if I had to. In just over two months my family and I are returning to Canada so I’ll have to get used to paying for all of this again. However, thanking the NHS from the bottom of my heart, my GP has given me a scrip for three months supply of my insulin, test strips, needle tips, lancets and all the other pills I need to stay alive! ACE inhibitor, Beta blocker, statin, thyroxine…etc.etc.
Also I now use Toujeo, on the recommendation of my clinician instead of Levemir. It’s brought me much better overnight control and my last A1c was 6.1.
I have insurance and I paid $135 yesterday for a bottle of R. I believe NPH $130 is a valid estimate. But, that’s a deal, compared with $300 for a bottle of Humalog. No Rx required for American R or NPH, which is why they are favorable. NPH is $30 over the counter here.
In Canada, we pay $38 for a bottle of Humalog - regardless of insurance.
Does that include your dispensing fee? In Ontario I pay $31.60 per vial of Humalog, before the dispensing fee.
beacher … Sorry … you’re right. I pay $32.98:
Someone may have asked this already, but do you need a prescription in Canada? I live close enough to the border that it might be worth my time to drive up and purchase insulin far cheaper than I could ever get it here. Not sure they’d take a US prescription, though.
You do not need a prescription to buy insulin in Canada. It is an “over the counter” drug.
The only catch is that Tresiba is not available Canada, but Fiasp is.
I have heard of people very occasionally being asked to show that they’re already taking insulin. A prescription, packaging with a prescription label, a pump or pen, even a Medic-Alert saying you’re insulin-dependent should be sufficient. This is very rare, but best to be prepared.