From the Research
No, U.S. doctors generally cannot send prescriptions to Canadian pharmacies to be filled and shipped back to U.S. patients. This practice is technically illegal under U.S. federal law, specifically the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which prohibits the importation of prescription drugs from foreign countries, including Canada. While the FDA rarely enforces this law against individuals importing small quantities for personal use, it remains illegal. The study provided 1 does not address the question of U.S. doctors sending prescriptions to Canadian pharmacies, as it discusses multivariate analyses of the MMPI profiles of low back pain patients, and is therefore not relevant to this topic. Some key points to consider include:
- The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act prohibits the importation of prescription drugs from foreign countries
- Canadian pharmacies are required to have valid Canadian prescriptions, not U.S. ones, to dispense medication
- Online Canadian pharmacies may claim to accept U.S. prescriptions, but these often operate in legal gray areas and may not be legitimate licensed pharmacies If you're concerned about medication costs, better alternatives include:
- Asking your doctor about generic medications
- Patient assistance programs offered by pharmaceutical companies
- GoodRx or similar discount programs
- Exploring Medicare Part D or Medicaid coverage if eligible