Savings From Canadian Online Pharmacies Increase from 68% to 77% Due to U.S. Drug Price Hikes
Year after year, Americans ring in the new year with report after report of drug price hikes in the United States. Whether loudly jacked up by the manufacturers to please investors or wriggled in by slimy middlemen, exorbitant profits are the New Year's resolution of choice, while patients flail in the background, continuing to forgo taking their meds due to prohibitive cost.
Nothing illustrates just how rapacious the situation truly is more than the ever-widening disparity between the prices on our pharmacy shelves versus those in Canada and elsewhere. Due to domestic price increases, Americans who choose to order medicine online from accredited websites will see their savings go up in 2022. A new PharmacyChecker analysis of international and domestic drug prices shows that, back in 2017, Americans saved 68.31% on average by ordering medication online from Canadian pharmacies. Fast forward to 2022, and those potential savings have increased: On the same batch of drugs, Americans can save an average of 77.28% by ordering from Canada. Widening our search beyond Canada, savings increased from 82.11% to 87.97% over the past five years.
For example, the drug Bystolic, which treats high blood pressure, increased in price by an average of 16.93% in the U.S. since 2017. The lowest price from a licensed Canadian pharmacy available from a PharmacyChecker-accredited online pharmacy actually decreased by 10.71%, from 2017 to 2022. The Canadian online savings went from 53.93% to 65.43%.
Januvia, a drug that treats type 2 diabetes, increased in price by an average of 26.08% in the U.S. since 2017. The lowest price from a licensed PharmacyChecker-accredited Canadian online pharmacy decreased by 5.07%. The Canadian online savings went from 70.77% to 79.43%. According to data published by Patients For Affordable Drugs, Januvia prices in U.S. pharmacies increased by 4.95% in the first month of 2022 alone.
“Americans, especially the uninsured, are facing higher drug prices across the board in 2022,” said Gabriel Levitt, president of PharmacyChecker.com. “Those already familiar with buying medicines online from Canada and overseas will not see such drug price hikes internationally because those countries do not allow it. PharmacyChecker is proud to provide accreditation for the safest international online pharmacies that can help those who otherwise would go without their medicines in 2022.”
The price differential of Januvia 100mg ordered internationally versus bought in the U.S. is striking: The highly-popular GoodRx coupon will get you 30 tablets for around $530. And the U.S. coupon on PharmacyChecker.com will get you the same for around $496. But the price for the same amount from Turkey is just $40.70; from Canada, $150.
U.S. vs. International Drug Price Increases 2017 vs. 2022
The chart is scrollable. More information to the right.
| Medications | Average U.S. Retail Price | Lowest Canadian Mail Order Price | Lowest International Mail Order Price | Canadian Mail Order Savings | International Mail Order Savings | ||||||||
| Brand Name (condition treated) | Strength | 2017 | 2022 | 2017 | 2022 | 2017 | Country | 2022 | Country | 2017 | 2022 | 2017 | 2022 |
| Bystolic (high blood pressure) | 10mg | $4.71 | $5.67 | $2.17 | $1.96 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 53.93% | 65.43% | ||
| Celebrex (pain, inflammation) | 200mg | $13.72 | $17.35 | $0.92 | $1.77 | $1.06 | UK/AU/NZ | $0.59 | Australia | 93.29% | 89.80% | 92.27% | 96.60% |
| Flovent HFA (asthma) | 110mcg | $260.33 | $312.00 | $76.63 | $64.31 | $55.33 | UK/AU/NZ | $29.86 | Turkey | 70.56% | 79.39% | 78.75% | 90.43% |
| Synthroid (thyroid) | 100mcg | $1.69 | $2.01 | $0.30 | $0.42 | $0.36 | India | $0.35 | India | 82.25% | 79.10% | 78.70% | 82.59% |
| Viagra (erectile dysfunction) | 100 mg | $58.72 | $84.20 | $19.16 | $12.46 | $7.58 | Turkey | $7.41 | New Zealand | 67.37% | 85.20% | 87.09% | 91.20% |
| Xarelto (clots and stroke) | 20mg | $15.38 | $19.60 | $6.19 | $3.54 | $3.83 | India | $3.17 | Turkey | 59.75% | 81.94% | 75.10% | 83.83% |
| Januvia (diabetes) | 100mg | $14.88 | $20.13 | $4.35 | $4.14 | $1.17 | Turkey | $0.75 | Turkey | 70.77% | 79.43% | 92.14% | 96.27% |
| Symbicort (asthma) | 160/4.5mcg | $361.50 | $449.00 | N/A | $133.74 | $73.01 | India | $89.00 | Australia | 70.21% | 79.80% | 80.18% | |
| Zetia (cholesterol) | 10mg | $10.17 | $13.82 | $2.19 | $2.58 | $2.13 | UK | $1.25 | Turkey | 78.47% | 81.33% | 79.06% | 90.96% |
| Namenda (dementia) | 10mg | $5.78 | $8.81 | $3.56 | $3.44 | $1.38 | Turkey | $1.79 | Turkey | 38.41% | 60.95% | 76.12% | 79.68% |
| Average Savings | 68.31% | 77.28% | 82.11% | 87.97% | |||||||||
| Sources: Canadian and International Prices from those Listed by Accredited Online Pharmacies on PharmacyChecker.com 2017-2022; Average U.S. Retail Prices from GoodRx 2017 and 2022 | |||||||||||||
