Purchasing Drugs Outside of U.S.

[J.R.]

I appreciate the input Winter.

I would NEVER recommend any of my clients to purchase drugs outside of the US without a prescription. The main reason I started this thread was to find out if anybody had concrete proof about the legalities of importing drugs, as well as the efficacy of using an HSA to purchase drugs outside the US per any state and/or federal mandates.

Most of the insurance carriers I have contacted told me that any drugs purchased outside of the US, excluding emergencies, do not count towards the OOPM. I can understand their reasoning.

Having said that, if clients can use their HSA funds to purchase drugs outside of the US at a fraction of the cost, while legally being able to deduct such expenses from their tax per IRS and FDA approval, I will recommend that route. For obvious reasons, I will not recommend clients do what Greensky does, despite my respect for the man.

 

[BKrocko]

NAFTA supposedly opened the doors to allowing US citizens to legal purchase drugs from anywhere in the world.

Apparently the FDA looks at things differently..........

If it were legal, I suppose that some of those big rigs' which are now traveling here from south of the border would be hauling prescription meds for restock/distribution -at greatly reduced cost. LOL - I don't think the "drugs" currently being transported are necessarily meant for "pharmaceutical" resale.

I can understand why there would be resistance put up by pharmaceutical companies. Why would they want to sell a product to other countries, at greatly reduced prices due to highly subsidized foreign government intervention, then allow them to turn around and undercut the US market with the same product?

I think that a lot of it comes down to the associated costs involved in R&D. Seems like other countries are comfortable just sitting back and waiting for our companies to develop something - then either clone it or simply purchase and distribute it at the subsidized prices. There is also the FDA to deal with here. Makes sense then to conduct R&D in other less restrictive countries and use that population to research the effects of the drugs. Perhaps that is the true price to be paid by them - "we will make prescriptions readily available and affordable, but you will also consent to some "trial" meds".

Be that as it may, if you are willing to accept the associated risk of not really knowing what is being sent to you, ordering prescriptions from the non US marketplace can reap significant savings.

 

[OregonDave]

Medpro llc seems to have a very legitimate prescription assistance program. One is based on income eligibility, one for everyone else. Check it out

 

[GreenSky]

Medpro llc seems to have a very legitimate prescription assistance program. One is based on income eligibility, one for everyone else. Check it out

So glad you pointed this out 8 years after this thread's last post.

Good info.

Thanks,

Rick

 

[smokin goose]

How did I know SAI would have a post in here after reading the title.

 

[senior-advisor-indiana]

How did I know SAI would have a post in here after reading the title.

Just say no.....

 

[OregonDave]

Heh, I didn't notice how old this was. i think I found a solution though.