Tuesday, June 6, 2006 | 7:11 a.m.
Hometown Pharmacy Inc.
Lot 14 Dufferin Drive
P.O. Box 86
Homewood, Manitoba ROG 0Y0
www.hometownmeds.com
Phone: (204) 745-5430
Fax: (204) 745-6815
Toll Free: (877) 696-6300
Toll Free Fax: (877) 475-9900
Paul Clark, managing pharmacist and contact person
Extended Care Pharmacy Ltd.
2915 21st St. N.E. Suite 109
Calgary, Alberta T2E 7T1
www.extendedcarepharmacy.com
Phone: (403) 291-5280
Fax: (403) 291-5480
Toll Free: (866) 266-9955
Diaa Arsany, managing pharmacist
Andy Troscok, contact person
Ultra Care Pharmacy Ltd.
No. 115-7130 120th St.
Surrey, British Columbia V3W 3M8
www.CanadaWayDrugs.com
Phone: (604) 597-5947
Fax: (604) 597-8086
Toll Free: (877) 507-3061
Toll Free Fax: (866) 308-2272
Fabina Kara, managing pharmacist and contact person
Granville Pharmacy Ltd.
205-3077 Granville St.
Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3J9
www.onlinecanadianpharmacy.com
Phone: (604) 730-4536
Fax: (877) 919-7347
Toll Free: (888) 730-3338
Brenda O'Leary, managing pharmacist
Dawn Polley, contact person
One month after Nevadans could legally begin ordering prescription drugs by mail from Canada, four pharmacies in that country are each averaging about 30 calls a day from the state, and about one-third of those calls result in an order.
In addition, the state's Canadian Pharmacy Web site received about 100,000 hits in its first week of operation.
David MacKay, business director for British Columbia-based Ultra Care Pharmacy, said operators have mostly answered questions. The process requires that customers obtain a prescription from a physician and forward it to one of four Canadian pharmacies licensed in Nevada, so most callers have not yet begun to order.
"We're having our customer-service folks spend a lot of time with them on the phone," MacKay said. "We're going through a lot of the pricing, doing comparisons for folks and we're also doing a lot of Medicare Part D consultations for seniors."
Medicare Part D is the federal government's prescription drug program for seniors that took effect at the beginning of this year. MacKay admits Canadian pharmacies have taken a hit because of Medicare Part D, but said they are starting to rebound.
"We're seeing a return of patients who did join Medicare and are unhappy with the caveats and the devil in the details," MacKay said. "They've tasted the bitter fruits of Medicare and they're not happy so they are calling us back."
MacKay cites as common concerns among Medicare Part D users the tiered co-payments that are higher than expected and the looming "doughnut hole" (the amount between $2,251 and $5,100) when many recipients will not be covered.
While the Canadian drug program is seen by many as a benefit to seniors, MacKay said his company has been reaching out to other groups as well:
"What's most intriguing is we are talking now with businesses who are looking to augment their benefit programs for employees. There's a high demand to somehow offer alternatives to the existing insurance programs that prove to be quite a burden for small- and medium-sized businesses that don't have existing coverage."
Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, is encouraged that the pharmacies are reaching out to the community.
"They've contacted me and have expressed an interest in local governments, small businesses, anyone who doesn't have or is afraid they might lose their insurance," Buckley said. "I've heard they have even been trying to talk to the gaming industry."
Buckley, an early and key supporter of the legislation that enabled licensing of the Canadian pharmacies in Nevada, said she hopes to get a report on the program within the next few months.
She said she has already gotten positive feedback from her constituents: "I've gotten a lot of calls and e-mails from people who say they are so glad this has finally gone through."
Catharine Pouget, 76, of Las Vegas compared prices at the Canadian pharmacies for her prescription medication, Cetirizine, an allergy medicine sold under the name Reactine in Canada and Zyrtec in the United States.
Canadian prices ranged from $66 to $77 for 100 10 mg tablets. Even with shipping costs of up to $15, the drug is still much cheaper than the $227 she would have to pay at her U.S. pharmacy.
"We're from Canada, so we've known for years that it was cheaper up there," Pouget said. "I used to get it when I would go up there or when friends would come down, but now I'm just going to order it by mail."
Buckley sees other intriguing prospects for the program, including the possibility that American health insurance companies could begin to recognize the Canadian pharmacies.
MacKay said that the Canadian firms do not integrate with American insurers currently.
"We're in discussions with some of the providers to see if we can officially integrate Canadian drugs into the insurance programs as a menu option," he said. "There may be a day when we're going to be offered as an element of a formal insurance program."
Buying drugs from Canada is nothing new and other states have similar programs, but Nevada is the first to license Canadian pharmacies. Four have been licensed and two others are under consideration.
By licensing the pharmacies, the Nevada Board of Pharmacy can ensure the same oversight it exercises on in-state pharmacies. It can visit the Canadian pharmacies at its discretion and will conduct at least one on-site inspection each year.
The U.S. government and states have continued debate over the legality of Americans buying prescription drugs from Canada. While the Food and Drug Administration frowns on the practice of importing drugs, no one has ever been arrested for the practice and Nevada vows to stand behind its program.
Nonetheless, the federal government does seize drug shipments from Canada on occasion and some have been concerned that shipments to Nevada would be scrutinized more closely. Such apparently has not happened.
"We have had packages seized at the border and returned, but in those cases we just send out another package," said Paul Clark, president of Manitoba-based Homewood Pharmacy.
"It is a relatively small number, based on the thousands we ship out, and it goes in spurts."
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