The Truth Behind Ordering from Canadian Pharmacies

Some websites lure patients by offering low-priced, "Health Canada-approved" medicines shipped to their door from a licensed Canadian pharmacy. In reality, the majority of these sites sell products that are manufactured outside of Canada and dupe U.S. consumers into believing the drugs are safe and effective—identical to medicine they’d pick up at a local pharmacy.

To educate Americans on the dangers of ordering drugs from Canadian online pharmacies, the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (ASOP) created a side-by-side illustration showcasing the vast differences for Canadian vs. U.S. consumers.

Take a look:

The FDA cannot guarantee the safety of imported medicines from foreign countries, like Canada. In fact, an FDA evaluation of non-FDA approved imported drugs revealed that "while nearly half of imported drugs claimed to be Canadian or came from Canadian pharmacies, 85 percent were actually from different countries."

As conversations continue around improving access to medicines, Lilly is dedicated to working alongside partners like ASOP to educate the public of the dangers of ordering prescriptions online, and ready to offer solutions to improve health care for all Americans.