Saving money on prescriptions

Owners George and Joanne Donnelly say they help their clients overcome their fear of the unknown while finding the most affordable drugs to meet their needs and budgets.
Their company, Canada Drugs, is a mail-order prescription service that has contracts with pharmacies in the United States, Canada and internationally. They claim they help provide "safe and affordable medications from the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Italy, India and Australia."
Through their storefront on Northcliffe Boulevard, they talk to clients in person or on the phone, receive mail and faxes, and use phones and computers to research each individual's best pricing options to fill their prescription needs. They also handle veterinary medicine.
They do not store any medications on-site, and they do not handle controlled substances. Prescriptions are always required. All transactions are forwarded to the appropriate pharmacies via mail or fax, and the medications are shipped directly to the customer. Most prescriptions are limited to a 90-day supply. They say it takes about two weeks or less for a customer to receive their medication.
George Donnelly says they are constantly educating people. He says every day they sit down with customers to review their purchasing options. Some patrons have insurance; some do not. For those with insurance coverage, they review the co-pays and restrictions of a client's insurance, and help determine if they can get their medication cheaper.
"I'll tell you if I can or can't help you," George says. "We won't give you a high-pressure sales pitch, just a helping hand and a friendly ear. Our goal is to find what works best for you."
The Donnellys began their business six years ago. They say they have seen rises and falls in profitability, but overall business is good.
"We have great customer services and good prices," George says. "We help people save money on prescriptions, and are the only one to operate a storefront office in Hernando County. We also can provide our services to anyone in the USA. If somebody has relatives or friends in another state, we can help them."
Canada Drugs says it receives a lot of word-of-mouth referrals, and that doctors also will send patients to them to fill their prescriptions if the doctor knows the client does not have insurance.
"We sell diabetic test strips for $39.95 a box verses the $60 that regular pharmacies charge. If people shop around they'll find medications have different prices at different stores," George says.
George knows that people may be concerned about the quality of drugs purchased outside the United States. He claims many of the most popular drugs sold by U.S. manufactures are actually manufactured in other countries "just like any other product."
He further claims that "all the pharmacies we contract with are fully licensed and will only dispense drugs when an order is accompanied by a valid prescription. We don't offer 'Internet' prescriptions by a doctor who has never even seen you. This practice is in most cases not legal, and in our opinion, in all cases is not ethical."
Canada Drugs maintains a list of popular prescription drugs and their countries of origin, including Advair (United Kingdom), Albuterol (Ireland), Ambien CR (France), Cipro (Germany), Crestor (Japan and Puerto Rico), Flonase (Singapore), Fosamax D (Spain), Januvia (Italy), Lipitor (Ireland), Lyrica (Puerto Rico), Nexium (France and Sweden), Nuvaring (The Netherlands), Plavix (France), Prevacid (Japan), Protonix (Germany), Symbicort (France and Singapore), Vytorin (Singapore), and Wellbutrin XL (Canada).
The Donnellys state that many of the generic medications sold in the U.S. are from India and Israel. They also keep a copy of an article about Walmart sourcing generic drugs from India. One of India's largest pharmaceutical manufacturers, Ranbaxy, lists more than 130 U.S. distributors, including Walmart, on their Ranbaxy USA Web site (http://www.ranbaxyusa.com/adr.aspx).
For consumers concerned about prescription medication, an online search will yield much information. Many sites, including the FDA (www.fda.gov) caution about drugs manufactured outside the U.S. and about counterfeit drugs, which can come from many sources. In general it is recommended to know what your drug should look and taste like, what side-effects to expect versus what may seem unusual if you've been taking a drug for a while, to ensure the packaging has not been tampered with or relabeled, and to know what to do if you have concerns (ask a pharmacist to examine the medication and packaging).
The Donnellys encourage people to examine an over-the counter (OTC) product (such as Prevacid or the generic for Prilosec, Omeprazole) to see where it is manufactured. They said many of the samples given out at doctor's offices are also manufactured outside the U.S.
Canada Drugs welcomes all inquiries and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Biz at a glance:
Name - Canada Drugs
Location - 8397 Northcliffe Blvd.
Telephone - 352-683-4446
Fax - 352-683-4337
E-mail - Cspringhill@tampabay.rr.com
Web site - www.springhilldrugs.com