Prescription medications 90 day rule: What to do?

[MamaGoose]

I'm on a medication for a chronic condition which is in remission for 2 1/2 years...as long as I stay on this medication. The specific formulation I am on is not available in the U.S., although other forms of the specific drug are. Just not the formulation and dosage on which I am stable. I have been spoken to at the border twice now about the fact that I had more than a 3 month supply with me, but they let it go. The second time, I was advised to make other arrangements in the future, and told I had plenty of time to figure out how to do that. I would imagine these people keep notes, and I suspect I'm not going to get another warning. I know there have to be thousands of Canadians on prescription medications crossing into the U.S. for the winter each year. How are you dealing with this?
Seeing a doctor in the U.S. and getting a prescription?
Having your pharmacy ship from Canada? And if so, how is that going? Does it take a long time, is customs hanging onto it for a long time? Did you get a letter from your physician, does your pharmacy enclose that and clearly label the package?
I get my prescriptions from a small town pharmacy and I don't know just yet if they have any experience sending medications to snowbirds and if they would be sure to package it in such a way that it would make it through customs with no problems.
Do any of you deal with online pharmacies from Canada who ship to the U.S....how reputable are they? Would they arrange to have my prescription transferred from my current pharmacy? Mine gets written for a year at a time, so there's already a current one with my current pharmacy.

[charlestonsouth]

MamaGoose, I've gone back to the start to read about your problem and know that this is an RV Canadian snowbird problem. As you well know, snowbirds don't just travel in RVs; they also fly into warm weather locations. Have you ever spoken to Canadians who have flown into the US for six months and who require taking with them six months of prescribed medication? If so, have they had the same problem after landing in clearing Customs? Driving across the border may be treated differently. It shouldn't be different, but could be. I've taken more than three months medication with me when we fly to Barbados (even though we are only staying two weeks) because the medication is in the appropriately marked container and have thrown away the old container. I declared it with other things going through security and Customs with no problem. I see a lot of expense here; it might be easier to fly into the nearest US airport and be picked up in the RV by your husband.

[MamaGoose]

@ NMDriver, I'm at the maximum daily dose that a person should take of this medication. A doctor can't write a script like that and a pharmacist can't fill it, they would both be in trouble.

[NMDriver]

I guess having your DR write the script for a double dose has not been considered. Then your 90 day supply would last 180 days. So instead of 1/day he writes it for 2/day and even if the agent counts the pill it is only a 90 day supply.

[moisheh]

Both FedEx and UPS know how to get you the drugs. BUT it costs a fortune. US Food and Drug has tom inspect then at a big cost. Not worth the effort.

Moisheh

[MamaGoose]

Not sure I understand what you're getting at here, but in any case, nothing about the medication I am prescribed would raise any eyebrows. Nothing fun or recreational or remotely suspect about it.

Not that the second agent even bothered to ask what the medication was or what it was for...All he cared about was that I had more than a 90 day supply with me and he told me not to do it again.

[joebedford]

No, I know we're not.

But, I'm thinking that there are drugs and there are DRUGS. I suspect one of mine might raise an eyebrow if it was discovered. There may be a less sensitive alternative.

Besides, the concept of medical marijuana will probably disappear when MJ becomes legal Canada-wide next year.

[MamaGoose]

joebedford wrote:
Maybe you should forgo medical marijuana for the winter?

Would you care to explain that comment? No one here is talking about medical marijuana.

[joebedford]

Maybe you should forgo medical marijuana for the winter?

[MamaGoose]

Still working on this, it's a frustrating issue. Everyone I speak to in person is genuinely surprised and baffled that I have run into this situation. But, fellow snowbirders, be warned. The "rule of thumb" as posted on the US border patrol website is, indeed, 90 days. Most border patrol agents obviously aren't enforcing it, I just had the misfortune to run into a couple of fellows who decided to do so. And I have spoken to about 8 different pharmacies in Canada as of now who either haven't run into this situation before, EVER, they just fill a 6 month supply for snowbirds and it's fine...or one pharmacy said they have shipped refills, but things have now changed, it is a lot more complicated (involving a detailed form to be filled out), and they have run into situations where medication is seized by customs and not returned or shipped. This pharmacy did not seem to want to deal with the hassle involved.
I have reached out to border patrol services directly myself. I have also contacted the Canadian Snowbirds Association. They can proactively lobby appropriate government agencies about this, as this is going to affect hundreds of thousands of visitors. It might end up being enough to deter travel or at least change plans.
So far, it is looking like I will be going with a Canadian online pharmacy that fills prescriptions for people in the U.S. More expensive and a hassle, but probably the least problematic route.
@Bumpyroad, I know what you mean about some of the online pharmacy sites--some of them appear to be just a broker, and the products themselves could actually end up coming from locations other than Canada. One needs to do one's homework. I found ONE, out of a long list, that I felt confident with and they would actually send the generic brand I am using, manufactured in Canada. I sent them an email, and a representative phoned me back. They
operate like a bricks and mortar pharmacy, in that I can transfer my prescription to them and when I get back, the prescription can be transferred FROM them back to a regular pharmacy. They're fussy about payment methods because they've had issues in the past, but other than that, I think they know how to get the product to me properly.

[Bumpyroad]

My bubble is still intact.

those Indian and Chinese drug products that are sold/dispensed in legit. pharmacies in the US are probably (99.9%) manufactured under an ANDA which was approved by the US FDA and was subject to FDA inspection.

the ones from a mail order Canadian "pharmacy/sales location" are from any manufacturer in any country not necessarily made under decent GMPs.
why is this concept so difficult for you folks to understand?
bumpy

[pawatt]

BarbaraOK wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:

John&Joey wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:

MamaGoose wrote:


Oh, I would be VERY careful. Last night I was researching. One pharmacy, I found the address and used google street view so I could actually see the building. The website also posts the name and license number of the pharmacist.

but where are the drugs actually manufactured?
bumpy

Probably the exact same place you get your USA drugs. Those poor Kanucks, they're dropping over dead all the time from those bad Canadian drugs without our high USA quality standards to guide them. :R

Yes, when ordering anything off the internet one should do their due diligence.

How do you do diligence when you order from a Canadian address, and mistakenly think you are getting Canadian manufactured products produced under decent GMPs but they are actually just a mail order address and the actual drug product comes from a third world country?
and FYI Canadian drugs are manufactured under very similar GMPs as those in the USA. which is basically why Canadian drugs are/were generally allowed in the US without US FDA inspection.
you seem to be confusing two issues. 1) drug products manufactured in Canada and 2) DRUG products ordered thru a Canadian address that are manufactured in a third world country subjected to who knows what type of conditions.
bumpy

I hate to break anyone's bubble, but a huge amount of US medications are produced in other countries, like China.

Barb

Yes, also in India

[Bumpyroad]

MamaGoose wrote:
Maybe this one is trustworthy?

https://www.pharmacychecker.com/
.

note what is said at that site.
"Question:
Are the drugs I receive from Canada identical to those received in the U.S.?

Answer:
The simple answer is that some medications sold in Canada are identical and others are not. The labeling, however, will almost always be different. The same applies for medications sold in other countries."

that confirms my comments
bumpy

[BarbaraOK]

MamaGoose, I tried sending you a PM with an obvious solution but you don't except them. Have you sat down with your physician, discussed your problem, and asked for help with obvious solutions. Think about it for a minute and the solution should jump at you.

Barb

[BarbaraOK]

Bumpyroad wrote:

John&Joey wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:

MamaGoose wrote:


Oh, I would be VERY careful. Last night I was researching. One pharmacy, I found the address and used google street view so I could actually see the building. The website also posts the name and license number of the pharmacist.

but where are the drugs actually manufactured?
bumpy

Probably the exact same place you get your USA drugs. Those poor Kanucks, they're dropping over dead all the time from those bad Canadian drugs without our high USA quality standards to guide them. :R

Yes, when ordering anything off the internet one should do their due diligence.

How do you do diligence when you order from a Canadian address, and mistakenly think you are getting Canadian manufactured products produced under decent GMPs but they are actually just a mail order address and the actual drug product comes from a third world country?
and FYI Canadian drugs are manufactured under very similar GMPs as those in the USA. which is basically why Canadian drugs are/were generally allowed in the US without US FDA inspection.
you seem to be confusing two issues. 1) drug products manufactured in Canada and 2) DRUG products ordered thru a Canadian address that are manufactured in a third world country subjected to who knows what type of conditions.
bumpy

I hate to break anyone's bubble, but a huge amount of US medications are produced in other countries, like China.

Barb