Healthcare expenses are one of the biggest expenditure items for most families, regardless of age, size, structure, or country. The point is that pharma companies realize that patients cannot do without their products and keep on increasing prices. According to statistics, the global expenses on medications keep on growing year after year. So, in 2010 countries spent $887 billion on medicines, in 2018 that figure reached $1.2 trillion, and, according to the experts’ forecasts, in 2023 it will equal $1.52 trillion. Sure, those jumps make an impact on both patients’ budgets and affordability of medications. As of today, the problem of unbearable drug prices affects consumers in both prospering and developing countries. For example, in the USA about 24% of adults of working age and about 23% of seniors report facing difficulties in covering drug expenses, not to mention other countries where the level of income is much lower.
Consequently, patients have to work out alternative ways to get medications at affordable prices. So, in the USA ― the country with the highest drug prices in the world ― millions of patients prefer to make trips to pharmacies located in neighboring countries since prices there are usually several times cheaper. The most popular direction is Canada, as the government of this country both regulates drug prices (so that they do not exceed those in other countries with similar economic conditions) and effectively controls the quality, safety, and effectiveness of products offered by local drugstores. No doubt, buying medicines in Canada is the easiest and the safest way for Americans to reduce their drug expenses. And about 78% of Americans support the idea of the legalization of drug importation from this country. But, as of now, the US government hasn’t managed to implement that practice, so patients have to search for ways to get medications at cheaper prices themselves, and online pharmacies fit the bill. You can check how your fellow-shoppers save money at Map Canadian Pharmacy, alongside with learning about what discount drugs are trending right now and why. The medicines there are available with complementary services like informational support, discount radar, targeted offers, and confidential delivery with eventual free shipping for bulkier orders. This is one of the numerous digital services Americans can avail of when filling their prescriptions, especially when they are uninsured or underinsured, or not eligible for patient assistance plans.
How to Choose a Suitable Canadian Drugstore?
Above all, to get a positive shopping experience, you should make sure that the platform selected is trustworthy enough. In the first place, pay attention to the following details:
The term of operation. If a platform is newly opened, there is a risk that it is a fly-by-night company that will just close soon after you send a payment for an order. It is much safer to turn to online drugstores that have been working in the market for at least several years.
Contact methods. When it comes to using medications, you may need professional support at any moment of a day or night, so having access to consultations with a specialist 24/7 is a huge advantage. Besides, if a company hides from its customers, that looks suspicious.
The privacy policy. Before sharing any information with any company, find out how it will be treated. For example, some websites give access to the customers’ information to third-party companies so that the latest mentioned can use it for sending advertisements or other commercial purposes.
The customers’ feedback. Sure, there is a risk that reviews have been moderated and negative ones have been removed, that is why experts recommend checking clients’ feedback on independent third-party platforms (there are dozens of such websites on the Internet).
The pricing policy. Even if you have decided to turn to an online Canadian pharmacy for reasons of the economy mainly, it is highly inadvisable to choose the website offering unreasonably cheap prices. Medications are not a kind of goods to experiment with. If it seems to you that prices at a drugstore are too generous, the best decision is to avoid using its services. Otherwise, you risk buying low-quality and even dangerous products or receiving counterfeit pills made entirely of chalk. So, before placing an order, compare prices at the online pharmacy chosen with those on other similar platforms and make sure that they are reasonable.
After you check the reliability of the company, make sure that it provides the proper quality of service:
- a wide assortment of medications, supplements, vitamins and other healthcare goods for all the members of a family;
- additional services, like reminding clients about replenishing supplies;
- a good selection of payment methods;
- fast and safe delivery within Canada and worldwide;
- parcel post insurance (so that you can count on compensation in case your order is lost or damaged);
- affordable courier services (if you prefer to receive orders at home);
- online anonymous consultations with qualified pharmacists (so that you have the opportunity to openly ask any delicate questions about your health).
How to Order Medicines on the Most Profitable Terms?
- Switch to generics. If there is a generic version of the drug prescribed to you by your doctor, there is no need to overpay for the brand name. Generics and brand medications are interchangeable, generics contain the same active ingredients and produce the same therapeutic effects. In other words, there is no significant difference between these two categories of medications, except for the price, which can be reduced by several times for generics. The reasons for such a dramatic discount ― companies producing generics save on researching, developing, testing, patenting, and advertising, as well as on production costs (since such medicines are usually manufactured in countries with a low price level).
- Purchase in bulk. In the vast majority of cases, the price of one pill depends greatly on the size of a pack. So, if you use some kind of medicine on a regular and frequent basis, it is more profitable to buy it in large packs.
- Take advantage of promotions. When you use certain products regularly, you can safely buy them in advance during sales and cut your expenses.
- Find out whether there are free shipping options available. There is a chance that you can get delivery services for free, for example, in case of a bulk order.
- Join the loyalty program. If you are satisfied with the quality of products and services offered by the platform selected, there is no need to switch to a different one. Furthermore, if you keep on using one pharmacy for a long period of time, you are likely to be provided with access to a loyalty program, which means additional discounts, special terms of use, and other bonuses.
- Review the prescription list. During your next visit to a doctor, ask him to check whether you need all the medicines that you take. There is a good chance that a doctor will cancel a couple of prescriptions or even more. Certainly, it is advisable to have such discussions with your doctor on a regular basis.
As you can see, the easiest way to reduce drug expenses to a minimum is to turn to an online Canadian pharmacy instead of a local facility. Millions of patients from the USA and other countries have already tested out the advantages of such platforms and have made a decision to keep on using their services. So, there is no reason to miss such an opportunity.