Can an American visitor in Canada get critical medications sent from home?
My dad is visiting Toronto from the US and unfortunately during his trip last week he fell and fractured his hip. He had a kidney transplant 3 years ago so he takes anti-rejection meds for it. He has enough for 2 more weeks (which is when he originally was supposed to return), but due to rehab, he will have to extend his stay. His medicine refill was ready yesterday and is here in the US.
I don't think his doc will prescribe it to him again for a doc in Canada because it's an expensive medicine and not available everywhere, and he's also not covered in Canada for meds. I called FedEx International and the CSR said no, but didn't sound like she knew too much.
Am I allowed to send this via FedEx or is there any other way I can get it to him?
Best Answer
The customer service representative at FedEx had it right. Health Canada only allows specific entities to import prescription drugs. Source
Your father would have been allowed to take up to 90 days supply with him, but he cannot import more drugs now that he's there.
He would appear to have two options: find a Canadian doctor who can prescribe the medication, and buy it locally; or return to the USA and continue his rehabilitation at home.
This is why one should always carry appropriate insurance for foreign travel.
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Can prescription drugs be mailed from US to Canada?
Canadian residents are generally not permitted to import prescription drugs by mail or courier. In certain cases, exemptions exist for Canadian residents to import prescription drugs (see Can I bring prescription drugs into Canada?).Can a US citizen order prescription drugs from Canada?
The answer is, technically no, but U.S. officials are allowing it to happen. Under the Prescription Drug Marketing Act of 1987, it is illegal for anyone other than the original manufacturer to bring prescription drugs into the country.Can foreign prescriptions be filled in Canada?
The first thing to understand is that you cannot use a foreign prescription to get prescription medication in Canada. You need to get a prescription from a Canadian doctor, otherwise the pharmacist will not give you the prescription drugs.Can you mail prescription drugs internationally?
Generally, no. For the most part, individuals in the United States cannot legally mail prescription medication to someone in a foreign country.Americans are saving money on meds by traveling to Canada. Here's how it works.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Tatiana Syrikova, Erik Mclean, cottonbro, cottonbro