Q. Do I need a prescription?
A. Yes. Before placing an order, you must have a valid prescription issued by a physician licensed to practice medicine in the United States.
Q. What other information do I need to provide?
A. If this is your first prescription order with International Meds USA, you will also need to complete and sign the Patient Questionnaire and Customer Agreement Form. As stated in the instructions for “How to Order”, this information can either be faxed using our toll-free fax number or it can be mailed to us.
Q. What guidelines do Canada Meds USA and its affiliated Canadian pharmacy follow in filling prescriptions?
A. Once your prescription from your U.S. doctor, along with your completed Questionnaire, have been received by our affiliated Canadian pharmacy, a Canadian doctor will review your medical history and approve your prescription under his or her Canadian license.
Your prescription will be filled as written. The name and strength as written on the prescription will be dispensed. However, our affiliated Canadian pharmacy will substitute U.S. approved generic drugs for brand name drugs when available unless your U.S. physician indicates on the prescription that no substitutions are allowed, OR unless you indicate to us that you do not want substitutions made. NOTE: International Meds USA and its affiliated Canadian pharmacy will NOT fill prescriptions for narcotics or other controlled substances such as benzodiazephines.
Q. How large a supply of my medications can I buy?
A. You may only order as much as your U.S. physician prescribes for you. Additionally, all prescriptions are limited to a maximum of a ninety (90) day supply. (Please note: It is permissible to issue 100 tab/capsule quantities under this restriction.)
Q. What is International Meds USA privacy policy regarding my personal information?
A. International Meds USA and its affiliated Canadian pharmacy maintain the highest professional standards regarding the confidentiality of customer information. International Meds USA and its affiliated Canadian pharmacy will not release or otherwise share any prescription, personal medical or financial information with anyone or any entity, other than the reviewing Canadian physician, the customer to whom the information pertains or the U.S. physician who prescribed the medications ordered, without the express written consent of the customer. Additionally, International Meds USA and its affiliated Canadian pharmacy will not sell, lease, rent or otherwise make available mailing lists or other customer-based consumer information to any other person or business entity. For additional information, please review our complete Privacy Policy.
Q. Are there certain drugs that I cannot buy through International Meds USA?
A. International Meds USA and its affiliated Canadian pharmacy will not fill prescriptions for narcotics or other controlled substances such as benzodiazephines and will not fill prescriptions where either the drug or a different brand name of the same drug is not available in the U.S.
Q. How do I pay?
A. International Meds USA makes it easy to pay for your prescription drugs. We accept MasterCard, Visa. If you use your credit card, the charge will appear on your credit card billing statement as being from "Total Care Pharmacy". All charges are in U.S. dollars.
Q. Can I buy medications without using a credit card?
A. Yes. International Meds USA offers another payment option whereby you can order your prescriptions using a personal check. While we believe it is important to be able to offer this service to our customers, please note that using a personal check may add several days to the total time required to process your order. Please note that if you order ONLINE on our website using the "Direct Electronic Submission" option, you MUST use a credit card.
In addition to the $10.00 flat shipping charge per package, a flat $5.00 processing fee is charged when a personal check or money order is used to make payment.
This fee is required to cover the cost of processing your personal check, checking its accuracy and making any necessary adjustments (e.g., issuing refund checks for overpayments or requesting supplemental checks where the amount received is insufficient). The $5.00 fee is calculated on the total amount of the order, including the shipping charge.
Q. Will you accept my insurance?
A. Unfortunately, because our services are treated as rendered in Canada, we cannot accept insurance coverage from the U.S. However, you will be given a receipt so that you can file an insurance claim.
Q. How are initial orders different from refill orders?
A. The Canadian pharmacy will call you approximately 3 to 4 weeks before your refill date to confirm that you want your prescription refilled and to ask whether there have been any changes. It is not necessary to submit any forms to receive your refills. However, if you are adding a new prescription, you will need to fax the new prescription(s) to Canadian Meds USA. No other information is needed unless there has been a change in your address, health, in the strengths or quantities of the medications you’re taking, or in the method of payment (in which case this information must also be provided).
Once a prescription has expired, it will be necessary to provide a copy of the new prescription issued by your U.S. doctor. As in the case of your initial order, a Canadian physician will then review and approve your prescription under his or her Canadian license.
Q. Are the drugs I will receive the same quality as the drugs that I buy in the U.S.?
A. Just as the United States, Canada is a “first world” country and has exceptionally high standards along with a rigorous approval system and strict manufacturing requirements for pharmaceuticals. Many of the drugs sold in Canada are exactly the same as those sold in the United States. Other drugs are manufactured in Canada and are the version sold in Canada. Some drugs may have a different name or look different than the one you are familiar with in the U.S. As one example, in Canada, the U.S. drug “Prilosec” is called “Losec” and is a pill rather than a capsule, even though it is in fact the same drug and is made by the same manufacturer. International Meds USA and its affiliated Canadian pharmacy will not send you any drug that does not have an approved version in the United States.
Q. Are all American drugs available?
A. For different reasons, not all drugs available in the United States are available in Canada.
Q. Why can I buy certain generic drugs from Canada that are not available in the U.S.?
A. Because of differences in the patent laws between the U.S. and Canada, generic versions of certain U.S. brand name drugs are produced in Canada that are not available in the U.S.
Q. Who makes Canadian generic drugs and are they safe?
A. The generic drugs produced in Canada are subject to the same strict approval and regulation as brand name drugs – and are used by millions of Canadian citizens on a daily basis. The manufacturers of these generic drugs are large and well-respected companies. They include Apotex, Novopharm and Genpharm.
Q. Can I transfer a prescription from a local pharmacy in the U.S.?
A. Since all prescriptions submitted to the Canadian pharmacy must initially be reviewed by a licensed Canadian physician, along with the completed Patient Questionnaire, transfers of prescriptions from U.S. pharmacies are not possible.
Q. How are my drugs shipped and how long does it take to receive them?
A. Your prescription order is shipped by a combination of Canada Post express mail and U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail. Initial orders should be received within 21 days. Refill orders should be received within 14 days.
Q. What is International Meds USA's return policy?
A. Just as in the United States, Canadian pharmacies are prohibited from using returned drugs. The applicable rule reads as follows: The Pharmacist shall not accept the return for use or re-use of any portion of any drug or non-prescription medication (Alberta College of Pharmacists Standard 5.1 (m) Standards of Practice - The Pharmacist, Jan. 1, 1996)
However, if an error by the pharmacy results in a customer receiving drugs that should not have been shipped, a credit or refund will be issued.
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