I was reading a PharmaTimes story on President Obama’s healthcare plans and their implications for the pharmaceutical industry, and one big statistic flew off the page. As the article states:

Drug re-importation would lead to big revenue losses for the industry, given that drugs sold in the US are priced at an average 67% premium to the rest of the world.

If you’re not familiar with the term, “drug re-importation” simply means allowing U.S. citizens to buy back from Canadian pharmacies the drugs that U.S. pharmaceutical companies sell to them at much lower prices.

The biggest reason drug prices are so high in the U.S. is that the Big Pharma lobby has secured long-term monopoly pricing on most brand-name drugs — so there is little price competition for non-generic prescription medications.

Polls show that 80 percent of Americans are in favor of drug re-importation from foreign pharmacies in Tier One countries like Canada, Australia and New Zealand. And President Obama has promised to finally push through legislation to allow all Americans to purchase drugs from Canada.

In the meantime, even though buying drugs from Canada is technically illegal, the FDA has decided not to enforce this law against individuals — because when it has in the past it has suffered serious consumer backlash.

That’s why you don’t have to wait for Congress and our president to fix this problem. You can start saving up to 80 percent on your prescription drugs today!

The important thing is to choose a foreign pharmacy that you know is safe and properly licensed — because saving money isn’t worth it if you put yourself at risk. That’s why Freebee Foreign Pharmacy ensures that every foreign pharmacy in our pharmacy network is properly licensed and accredited.

I came across a press release this morning that offered some alarming stats about the use and costs of prescription drugs in the United States. A few key numbers:

• Every year more than 3.6 billion prescriptions are sold in the United States — an average of more than 12 prescriptions per person!
• More than 50 million Americans are without health care or prescription drug benefits and must pay full retail prices for their prescription drugs.
• These prices continue to spiral upward at a rate of more than 7.5% per year.
• From 1994 to 2006, drug costs soared from an average of $28.67 per prescription to $68.26 — almost triple the annual inflation rate.
• Annual U.S. prescription drug spending is projected to increase from about $200 billion today to nearly $500 billion in 2016!

Wow, that’s scary stuff. And with all the current economic problems on President Obama’s agenda, it is questionable whether he will have the time (and money) to address the crisis of rising healthcare costs gripping America.

Until we have across-the-board reform that makes prescription drugs affordable for all Americans, the single best solution for high drug costs is the Freebee solution — to comparison shop online and purchase your medications from licensed foreign pharmacies in Canada and other Tier One countries.

So, what are you waiting for? Join Freebee Foreign Pharmacy today!

The New York Times recently published a number of tips for saving on your prescription drug bill. Here’s our summary of the article’s best recommendations:

1. Know your insurance. If you have employer-sponsored insurance, make sure you know the ins and outs of the prescription drug component. For example, the co-pay on different drugs could range anywhere from $10 to $75, depending on whether the drug is generic, or whether the insurance provider has negotiated a preferred rate with the drug maker. Print out a list of preferred drugs on your insurer’s Web site and use it as a reference when consulting with your physician.

2. Talk with your doctor. At least once a year, you should sit down with your doctor and make sure the drugs you’re taking are still necessary for you to take, and find out if there are generic or less expensive options for the medications you do need to take.

3. Compare costs. Shop around — both at nearby retail pharmacies and online. As the New York Times writer shares:

Call your local pharmacy and ask for prices on the drugs you take. You might be surprised. I found, for instance, that a small pharmacy near my Brooklyn home had lower prices than Costco on several medications, while the nearby chain drugstore turned out to be the most expensive option.

If you’re a coupon clipper, you know that coupons can save you big money on groceries and other household items if you’re disciplined about finding and using them. Can manufacturers’ coupons for prescription drugs provide the same relief to your wallet?

It depends.

Several sites are now out there that help you access temporary price breaks on brand-name prescription drugs. These sites include:

• http://www.optimizerx.com/
• http://www.internetdrugcoupons.com/
• http://www.rxvouchers.com/
• http://www.reduceprescriptioncosts.com/prescription-drug-rx-coupons.html

The sites feature coupons offering anywhere from 10 to 40 percent off the price of prescription drugs. But there are three things to keep in mind before using these coupons:

1. Unlike most products, brand-name prescription drugs vary widely in price from pharmacy to pharmacy. For example, a recent shopping survey by a North Dakota newspaper showed that the price charged for the cholesterol drug Simvastin (20 mg, 30 count) varies from $19 to $55, depending on the pharmacy you choose. So a 10 percent coupon won’t mean much if you buy the drug from a pharmacy that is already selling the medication at a high price.

2. Coupons have restrictions. Generally you can’t use them in combination with Medicare, and sometimes they can only be used when you pay cash. You also won’t find coupons for generic drugs — only the more expensive, brand-name meds.

3. Licensed Canadian pharmacies are cheaper. With or without coupons, you’ll do better shopping at a licensed Canadian pharmacy, where drug prices are up to 80 percent less than what you pay at the corner drugstore.

So feel free to clip prescription coupons — but make sure you are actually getting the bargain you’re looking for.