Prescription math: U.S. vs. Canada

There's a startling difference in prices between Aetna Rx Delivery and Canada once you hit the donut hole and have to pay 100% of the cost for brand-name drugs.

Examples:

Aricept 10 mg ........... Aetna $655.37 .............. Canada $82.00 (for generic)

Celebrex 10 mg .......... Aetna $331.86 ............... Canada $109.45 (for generic)

Uroxatral 10 mg ......... Aetna $271.55 .............. Canada $82 (for generic)

There are no generics that I know of for these three drugs in the United States. But there are generics for all three through Canada.

Since I hit the donut hole in May, I will save $1,970.66 on those three prescriptions for the remaining six months of the year. It's cheaper through Aetna before I hit the donut hole because my co-pay is never higher than $80 then.

Why such a difference? Well, generics, of course, which have the same critical ingredients. And pharmaceutical lobbyists wrote the USA laws.

If you're interested in how to get your prescriptions from Canada once you hit the donut hole, email John Olesky at

Jo4wvu@sbcglobal.net