Are drugs from a Canadian pharmacy Safe? Read below to find out.
Quality
of Canadian Drugs
Drug Names in canada
Generic drugs in Canada compared to US drugs
How
does the quality of meds from Canadian pharmacies compare to American
medications?
The Canadian government has very strict requirements for the manufacturing
of medication in Canada. These requirements are very similar to
the requirements in the US. Some of the the drugs sold at Canadian
pharmacies are actually manufactured in the US and repackaged
for sale in Canada. Generic medications are all manufactured in
Canada under Canada's stringent requirements.
Why do some drugs have different names
in Canada?
These are trade or brand names registered by the manufacturer.
In different countries manufacturers will often use different
trade names. The medications have the same active ingredients,
but may look different and have a different trade name. (For example
Prilosec (U.S.) and Losec (Canada), or Augmentin (U.S.) and Clavulin
(Canada)). Click here to see some more
examples.
Are all drugs available from Canadian pharmacies?
No, but if you cannot find one on a given site make sure you ask.
New drugs become available for prescription everyday in Canada.
Generic
Drugs from Canadian pharmacies
When a company develops a new drug, it gives the drug two names:
• generic name the chemical compound that makes up the drug
• brand name what the manufacturer calls the product
The company patents the drug for 20 years giving them the exclusive
and legal right to manufacture and market the drug. Once the patent
expires, the drug may be manufactured and sold by other companies:
• under a different brand name
• under its generic (chemical compound) name
There is no difference between the manufacturing standards set
for generic pharmaceutical companies and those set for brand pharmaceutical
companies. Sometimes the generic version of a drug may have a:
• different color
• different shape from its brand name counterpart. These
differences have no effect on the medical action of the drug.
They are created simply to distinguish the appearance of one drug
from another. Generic drugs typically are less expensive than
their brand name counterparts.
The majority of pharmacists agree that generics are:
• better than brands in terms of price
• as good as brands in terms of effectiveness, quality control,
appearance, and packaging
When your prescription is filled at a Canadian pharmacy with a
generic drug, you can be sure that you’re getting the quality
medication you need at a more affordable price.
