According to the statistics provided by Industry Canada, pharmaceutical exports and imports between Canada and the rest of the world have increased by 338% and 153% respectively from 2000 to 2009. The Canadian pharmaceutical industry's growth has been largely driven by the growing popularity of Canadian pharmacies. Canadian laws governing the pharmaceutical industry have restricted the prices that can be charged by companies selling drugs in the country through retail stores and to hospitals. This has ensured that prices of drugs sold at a Canada Pharmacy are in check and much lower than the prices of similar drugs in other countries like America.
Canadian Laws and Canada Pharmacy
According to prevalent Canadian laws, the production, distribution, possession and import of various drugs and substances in Canada are governed by the provisions of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). The controlled drugs and substances for medical treatment can only if obtained if you have a requisite prescription from a licensed medical practitioner. No Canada pharmacy can sell such drugs or substances without seeing the prescription. Unlawful sale or possession of such drugs may result in imprisonment or fine, or both in some cases.
Apart from the traditional brick and mortar pharmacies, several online pharmacies have emerged and facilitated sale of Canada drugs to outside countries. Online pharmacies are increasingly becoming popular and contributing a significant portion of the total pharmaceutical sales in Canada. The reason being they offer several benefits like time and effort saving besides the convenience of getting one's medicines at one's doorstep. However, instances of several fraud online pharmacies have also come up in recent years. These pharmacies do not follow the Canadian rules and regulations and instead take orders of controlled drugs without seeing the prescription. In many cases these pharmacies ask you to fill a health information form. Consumers need to stay away from a Canadian pharmacy that is willing to sell prescription medicines without viewing the prescription. In several other cases, these fake pharmacies sell counterfeit or fake drugs that can be quite dangerous for the consumers. So it is imperative that we check the authenticity or the genuineness of a Canadian pharmacy before placing our order.
How to Identify a Genuine Canada Pharmacy?
The Canadian International Pharmacy Association or CIPA is a Canadian Association of licensed retail pharmacies whose aim is to ensure that customers get appropriate medicines and are not cheated in any way. All members of CIPA are licensed and regulated by the Canadian government for safety. The CIPA has recommended the following precautions for selecting a Canada pharmacy for ordering your medicine supplies.
Buyers should look for the provincial pharmacy license number on the website and call the corresponding Provincial Regulatory Authority to verify the legitimacy of the license. This is important because purchasing drugs from unlicensed pharmacies greatly increases your chances of buying fake or counterfeit or substandard products. Check whether the pharmacy has a physical address. This is a proof that the Canada pharmacy actually exists. Check whether the pharmacy has provided any contact numbers. Check whether the website of the concerned pharmacy has the CIPA certification seal. Ensure that the pharmacies sell prescription medicines only after viewing a valid prescription from your physician. Bogus pharmacies will not ask you for a valid prescription. Ensure that the pharmacy asks you to provide your medical history or profile before completing your order. Ensure that the pharmacy does not sell controlled substancesYou can also take the help of PharmacyChecker.com which verifies information about the various online pharmacies in Canada and the US.
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Of the umpteen number of pharmacies advertising their services, only a few are genuine and licensed to sell the controlled drug products. So ensure that a Canada pharmacy that you select is genuine, registered and has the necessary licenses.