In the news March 4th 2020 – Stat News article

In General, Health, Insulin by Nick

See one woman’s complicated, costly journey to a Canadian strip mall pharmacy — all for cheaper insulin

By NICHOLAS FLORKO @NicholasFlorko MARCH 4, 2020
Photos and additional reporting by MONIQUE JAQUES FOR STAT

Excerpt from Article – Read the full article – click here.

Americans crossing into Canada for cheaper drugs isn’t altogether new. Droves of seniors made national news in the early 2000s when they organized busload after busload to Canada. Presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) rode along with activists with type 1 diabetes on a similar pilgrimage last year.

Sensing a business opportunity, pharmacies, like the one Kleck visited, have popped up along the Canadian border. They provide a safer alternative to online pharmacies, some of which have been plagued by counterfeit drugs.

When she finally got the nerve to walk in, she was greeted by an operation dedicated almost exclusively to serving the U.S. market. Packaging supplies and even dry ice, meant to keep insulin at a safe temperature while it travels through the mail, lined the walls.

She walked out of the pharmacy with 10 vials of Canada’s version of Novolog, named NovoRapid, at a cost of $459. The same insulin would have cost her $2,570 in the U.S., according to Kleck’s calculations.

Excerpt from Article – Read the full article – click here.