It does not require a special prescription. You just get one from your doc on paper. You go through the registration process on a REPUTABLE site (for some, the most challenging part is finding legit companies). Mine is Canadian. You can scan and email or fax the RX with your first order, but the legit sites will ask for the paper RX to be mailed as well before they’ll ship. While they do not take insurance, the costs of meds in countries with a reasonable medical system is far less than in the US. For a while, when my insurer wouldn’t pay for my full RX, I was buying the meds through Canada because paying full price there was less than my copay. That isn’t the norm, but it happens.
You usually have to pay by EFT. Technically, bringing meds in across the border is not legal. It’s a hell of a protection racket we have to pharmaceutical companies. So, credit card companies are restrictive about paying these companies, but EFT is no problem. It is possible but highly unlikely that drugs will be seized by customs. In all the years I have had to do this on and off, I have never had a problem with that.
You hear a lot about the “risks” of bringing in non-US drugs. It’s a load of nonsense, if you go through a reputable source. We have problems here in the US with counterfeit pharmaceuticals, including some huge scandals with chemo drugs. So, buying here is no guarantee. Similarly, Canadian, EU, etc. patients are all getting totally legit, safe drugs thanks to THEIR version of the FDA. There is no reason for drugs to be considered suspect when the same pharmaceutical companies supply all our industrialized nations, and each has an equivalent agency watching out for counterfeits or tainting.
I have had no problems with quality. My condition is minor with drugs, and hell within 1-2 weeks if there would be a problem with a medication. I’d know almost immediately if something wasn’t working! I’ve done this with full knowledge and ready assistance by my doc, for about 10 years. Every so often he checks in with me about the state of getting one of these meds, and of getting cross-border supplies of the one that can be hard to get. He has lots of other patients scrambling to get that, or related specialty meds, too, sometimes.
I hope that has been if some help. I hope you never need to use this info. It’s a pain compared to running to your local Walgreens, but not too bad if you know the ropes. I agree with you on Walgreens - they make me nuts! But like you, I keep my RXes there because (until COVID) I was traveling extensively for business, and it made sense to be able to get my meds anywhere I was, especially if an emergency occurred.
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