Guest guest Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 Welcome!Log In | Create Profile advanced search Español Questions and Answers Read Arthritis Today Disease Center Learn About Arthritis Drug Guide Supplement Guide Online Brochures Joint Surgery Center Diet and Nutrition Alternative Therapies Guide to Sports Injury Prevention Marriage and Family Easy to Use Products Relationships and Dating Your Feet and Arthritis Tips for Living with Arthritis Home Life Entertaining Travel and Arthritis Financial Planning Arthritis in the Workplace Gift Ideas Volunteering Continuing Education National Arthritis Action Plan American Juvenile Arthritis Organization Local Offices Our Sponsors Bone and Joint Decade People who order their drugs from Canada or other countries may save money, but are they getting more -- or less -- than they've bargained for? Get a Homegrown Deal Bob Estes*, 68, opens a shoe-box-sized package with a foreign postmark, pulls away layers of packing material and removes a plastic bottle full of white pills. The package, delivered to his doorstep, comes from north of the border - Canada. Lipitor, his cholesterol-lowering medication, is one of a few brand-name drugs he orders regularly over the Internet from a pharmacy in Alberta. Even though what Estes is doing is flat out against the law, he is far from alone. Estes is part of a growing trend. Just five years ago, Americans collectively spent $14 million on drugs from Canada. In 2002, Americans spent as much as $700 million. So why is an otherwise law-abiding citizen risking prosecution to get his medications from Canada? The answer, pure and simple, is price, says Estes. By ordering through Canada, Estes can get a 90-day supply of the medication he needs to control his cholesterol for nearly half what it would cost him at the chain drugstore down the street. The cost savings makes it possible for him to afford medications that would otherwise stretch his retirement income. What Estes doesn't realize is that on May 23, 2003, the FDA issued an alert cautioning consumers that counterfeit versions of Lipitor were being sold to the public. Though FDA investigators are working to identify the source and remove the counterfeits from the marketplace, the fact remains that they were sold and shipped. Is what Estes received on his doorstep really Lipitor? The fact that no one can be sure is just what worries the FDA and other public health experts. NEXT PAGE > Home | Privacy Policy | About Us | Contact Us | Joints in Motion | Employment | Sponsors | Arthritis Today Magazine | Site Map | Terms of Service | Español © Copyright 2004, Arthritis Foundation. All Rights Reserved. * Name has been changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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