Medicare Part D: Canadian Pharmacies Offer Lower Prices for Prescription Drugs

American pharmacists across the country are outraged with the new changes associated with the addition of Medicare's new Part D and so are Americans that need prescription drugs. The havoc caused by the new changes is even being compared to the devastation that hurricane Katrina left behind in the southern Gulf States because everyone knew it was coming, yet no preparations were made and now the consequences are heavy.

Some of the heaviest hit by the new changes of course are senior citizens that rely on prescription drugs, senior citizens that live on already limited incomes and simply do not have the money to pay fees for much needed prescriptions until the kinks are worked out of the system.

Canadian pharmacies are reaping the benefits of the goof ups and Americans are getting the meds they need despite the problems.

What's the problem with Medicare's Part D?

Maybe the biggest question right now is, what isn't wrong? In the beginning it was said that patients on Medicare with Medicaid drug coverage would be automatically enrolled in Part D but so far that hasn't been the case. While only 1.5 million applications have been fully processed … that leaves nearly 20 million more to be processed and the clock is ticking.

Americans simply can't wait!

What are pharmacists doing?

Pharmacists are handling the crisis the best way they can using one of two ways:

1)Pharmacists are giving prescriptions to customers as normal, letting them know that once the kinks are worked out that these customers will receive an invoice to pay the associated fees.

This option means that pharmacies will not be reimbursed for prescriptions filled until Part D is functioning correctly and some pharmacies can't afford to loan out medicine, leaving those pharmacies to ultimately leave their customers in a state of limbo with way number two …

2) Pharmacies are simply charging the extra cost and customers can bite the bullet or look elsewhere to get their medications filled.

For many that means seeking the services of Canadian pharmacies.

What are the advantages of using a Canadian pharmacy?

The obvious advantage is price, Canadian drugs are cheaper because the Canadian government controls drug prices and drug manufacturers participate in the national health plan … simply speaking-the Canadian government placed a cap on drug prices.

Canadian drugs do indeed go through a drug approval process similar to the very standards set by the American FDA. Canadian drug approval is governed by an agency called Health Canada using a systematic testing process known as bioavailability testing that assures the drugs are safe for human consumption.

Another plus is that drugs from Canada are manufactured in Canada under the standards set by Health Canada and lastly, Canadian pharmacies ship to American customers with valid prescriptions utilizing the convenience of online ordering.

Americans are taking full advantage of the benefits.

When will Part D be fixed?

Ultimately only time will tell. While Medicare insists that they are adding operators daily, changes are slowly forth coming and computer glitches are a daily battle for many pharmacists that are patiently waiting for the chaos to end. The problem is that most Americans simply can't afford to patiently wait on the medications they so desperately need and are seeking alternative ways to get those important medications.

Right now, a lot of Americans are thankful for the Internet and the affordability of Canadian drugs to help them out in this time of uncertainty.