Is it illegal to buy generic Viagra from a pharmacy in Canada?

[farmerjohn1324]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida.

Is this legal or illegal?

 

[TigerD]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida.

Is this legal or illegal?

Let me reframe the question for clarity:
Is it legal to purchase knock-off prescription drugs without a prescription from a pharmacy in Canada in an attempt to evade United States laws and then have the drugs shipped to you in the United States?

DC

 

[FlyingRon]

It is illegal to import drugs that require a prescription in the US without a prescription. Period.

If you have a prescription but decide that it's just cheaper or more convenient to order from Canada, then you're into a gray area. FDA and customs waffle on this one quite a bit, neither saying it's outright illegal nor saying it's acceptable.

 

[LdiJ]

It is illegal to import drugs that require a prescription in the US without a prescription. Period.

If you have a prescription but decide that it's just cheaper or more convenient to order from Canada, then you're into a gray area. FDA and customs waffle on this one quite a bit, neither saying it's outright illegal nor saying it's acceptable.

And of course if you happen to be IN Canada and you buy it there, that's perfectly legal.

 

[FlyingRon]

And of course if you happen to be IN Canada and you buy it there, that's perfectly legal.

If you IMPORT drugs requiring a prescription in the US into the US regardless of whether you can buy then OTC or whatever in a foreign country, you are breaking the law.

If you want to get your rocks off while in the great white north, be my guest.

 

[LdiJ]

If you IMPORT drugs requiring a prescription in the US into the US regardless of whether you can buy then OTC or whatever in a foreign country, you are breaking the law.

If you want to get your rocks off while in the great white north, be my guest.

I bought some over the counter antibiotics in Italy (which would have required a prescription here) and I declared them when I went through customs coming home, and they didn't take them away from me. Now, admittedly that was 15 or so years ago, but that is what happened.

 

[FlyingRon]

I bought some over the counter antibiotics in Italy (which would have required a prescription here) and I declared them when I went through customs coming home, and they didn't take them away from me. Now, admittedly that was 15 or so years ago, but that is what happened.

As I said, it's clearly illegal, but the customs department is kind of lax on enforcing anything for people carrying them in. In fact, there's not really much they'd do other than just confiscate them. However, it's still illegal.

 

[quincy]

As I said, it's clearly illegal, but the customs department is kind of lax on enforcing anything for people carrying them in. In fact, there's not really much they'd do other than just confiscate them. However, it's still illegal.

It might be important to note that, according to recent studies out of Europe, the majority of drugs bought over the internet are fake - and fake Viagra (originating primarily in China and India) often contains additional ingredients that can be harmful to your health and the dosages are often incorrect, so you may be getting more of the (potentially harmful) drug than intended. Just because the internet claims the drugs are from a "pharmacy," in Canada or anywhere else, does not mean it is so.

 

[cbg]

I say this being fully aware of the OP's post hx. I am also aware the for the purpose of law, it doesn't much matter. Nonetheless, for clarification;

The OP did not say he was buying the drugs ONLINE from a pharmacy in Canada.(yes, I'm sure that was what he was referring to. But it's not what he SAID.) It is possible to travel to Canada and make a purchase at a brick and mortar pharmacy. Which is quite legal.

It's when you reach Customs at the border that things get dicey.

But I rather resent the implication by at least one poster here that anything bought outside the US is necessarily going to be a knockoff and of low quality.

 

[Proserpina]

I say this being fully aware of the OP's post hx. I am also aware the for the purpose of law, it doesn't much matter. Nonetheless, for clarification;

The OP did not say he was buying the drugs ONLINE from a pharmacy in Canada.(yes, I'm sure that was what he was referring to. But it's not what he SAID.) It is possible to travel to Canada and make a purchase at a brick and mortar pharmacy. Which is quite legal.

It's when you reach Customs at the border that things get dicey.

But I rather resent the implication by at least one poster here that anything bought outside the US is necessarily going to be a knockoff and of low quality.

Ironically, what people don't realize is that the actual manufacturers may be supplying other countries with drastically reduced price.

Trust me. I know of what I speak.

(isn't this the same guy from down the street, btw?)

 

[quincy]

People in Michigan, especially in the Detroit area, often drive to Canada to fill their prescriptions at Canadian pharmacies because they can save a substantial amount of money by doing so. And it is just a short trip to Canada over the bridge or through the tunnel or, farther north, by ferry.

My post, though, was mostly referring to a recent study done on internet sales of drugs. What may seem a bargain price online, or a nice evasion of the law, may turn out to be neither in reality.

 

[eerelations]

Purchasing Viagra or generic versions of Viagra in Canada requires a prescription from a Canadian doctor. It will be safe because Canadian medication safety and quality standards are higher in Canada than the US. However, if you purchase Viagra or generic versions of Viagra in Canada without a prescription, then:

a) it is probably not Viagra or a generic version of Viagra;
b) it is probably illegal in both Canada and the US; and
c) it is probably from a place like China or India or similar (Albania and Nigeria come to mind) where medication quality and safety standards are considerably lower (if they exist at all) than in Canada and the US.

 

[Proserpina]

People in Michigan, especially in the Detroit area, often drive to Canada to fill their prescriptions at Canadian pharmacies because they can save a substantial amount of money by doing so. And it is just a short trip to Canada over the bridge or through the tunnel or, farther north, by ferry.

My post, though, was mostly referring to a recent study done on internet sales of drugs. What may seem a bargain price online, or a nice evasion of the law, may turn out to be neither in reality.

Absolutely!

True story: when I first started working in the States, I'd get care packages full of goodies like...Marmite...Maltesers... and Feminax. The latter was basically for period pain, and contained codeine amongst other things. For the longest time it was OTC, in the aisles. Then they decided that it would be better to keep it behind the pharmacy desk (it was still OTC though).

Unfortunately it was discontinued (the original formula, at least) a few years ago.

Millions of worried husbands have to make an extra effort during those times of the month.... our men are nothing if not sensible

 

[quincy]

Absolutely!

True story: when I first started working in the States, I'd get care packages full of goodies like...Marmite...Maltesers... and Feminax. The latter was basically for period pain, and contained codeine amongst other things. For the longest time it was OTC, in the aisles. Then they decided that it would be better to keep it behind the pharmacy desk (it was still OTC though).

Unfortunately it was discontinued (the original formula, at least) a few years ago.

Millions of worried husbands have to make an extra effort during those times of the month.... our men are nothing if not sensible

I have found over the years that it is far more sensible, and requires less effort on my part, to simply drug myself during those times.

 

[LdiJ]

Absolutely!

True story: when I first started working in the States, I'd get care packages full of goodies like...Marmite...Maltesers... and Feminax. The latter was basically for period pain, and contained codeine amongst other things. For the longest time it was OTC, in the aisles. Then they decided that it would be better to keep it behind the pharmacy desk (it was still OTC though).

Unfortunately it was discontinued (the original formula, at least) a few years ago.

Millions of worried husbands have to make an extra effort during those times of the month.... our men are nothing if not sensible

I have a funny story myself about something similar. My ex brother in law's wife, (in Italy) was allergic to all kinds of medications but for some reason she was not allergic to Bufferin (buffered aspirin, I cannot even remember if its still sold here). Anyway, it was never sold in Italy so every time any relative in the US came to visit Italy, us included, we had to bring her Bufferin. Anyway, whenever we would send packages we would usually include some as well. One time the Italian customs people decided to open one of our packages and raised holy heck because of the Bufferin. She got her doctor in Italy to write a prescription for Bufferin, and they released the package...go figure.