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Third Annual Survey: Average Savings Increasing, Safety & Affordability Remain Top Reasons for Personal Prescription Importation from Canada
Released July 13, 2020
The third annual Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation (CPPI) survey results show that 94% of respondents cite cost as the primary reason for ordering from licensed online pharmacies and 98% of respondents recommend importation to their friends and family members.
Consistent with other public opinion surveys, respondents feel that high drug prices are an important issue that should be addressed by elected leaders and candidates seeking public office. When asked about the importance of lowering high drug prices relative to their 2020 presidential election voting decision, 86% of respondents report that the issue is either extremely important or very important. An additional 12% of respondents stated that the issue is somewhat important.
On average, survey respondents reported saving $245 per month to access safe pharmaceuticals from online pharmacies in Canada. This is a significant increase from the $196 average savings per month reported in last year’s survey.
“This survey highlights the realities of personal prescription importation and the reasons why Americans continue to purchase their medications safely from licensed online pharmacies in Canada at considerable savings compared to what they would pay in the U.S.,” said Jack Pfeiffer, executive director of the Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation. “While this survey was conducted prior to the spread of Covid-19, Americans’ need for affordable prescription drugs has never been greater.”
“Americans struggle now more than ever with skyrocketing prescription drug prices and, despite promises from elected officials to lower drug prices, meaningful change remains elusive,” said Pfeiffer. “Unlike the wholesale importation process outlined in the proposed federal regulation changes, recognizing a pathway for personal importation would have an immediate impact for Americans. Millions of Americans are already accessing safe and affordable daily medications from Canada. This latest survey shows that our community continues to feel that ordering medications from online pharmacies in Canada is a reasonable option for accessing life-saving and life-enhancing prescription drugs.”
Eighteen percent of respondents are saving between $200-$299. Among people who save more than $300 per month (20% of respondents), the average savings that they report is $648.
More than half of respondents (53%) report saving up to $199 each month by ordering through an online Canadian pharmacy.
33% percent of respondents learned about online pharmacies from either a healthcare provider or pharmacist.
The majority of survey respondents (77%) know how to identify “rogue” pharmacies and are savvy in their search to find an online pharmacy that they can trust. Furthermore, nearly half of respondents (43%) selected an online pharmacy because it was a verified/certified site, and 29% of respondents chose a site based on recommendations from someone they trust.
Additional findings from the survey:
Primary Reason is Cost: The majority of respondents (94%) – cite cost as the reason that they order their medications from an online pharmacy in Canada. Other reasons cited include consistency in pricing (11%); convenience (7%); consistency in availability (6%); and lack of availability in the U.S. (4%).
Spending through Ordering Online: More than half of respondents (51%) spend less than $99 per month ordering personal prescriptions from licensed online pharmacies in Canada. 24% of respondents spend between $100-$199 and 11% spend between $200-$299 and 7% of respondents spend more than $300.
Insurance Coverage: Despite having Medicare or other insurance coverage, many Americans still purchase safe and affordable prescription drugs from Canada. More than half of respondents (72%) report having Medicare. Fifteen percent report that their employer provides insurance coverage, 9% are self-insured and 7% do not have insurance.
Years of Ordering Online: Nearly half of respondents (45%) report ordering their prescription medications from an online pharmacy for less than three years. Thirty-seven percent have been using online pharmacies for between four and seven years, and 19% of respondents have been ordering for more than eight years.
Survey Methodology: CPPI conducted this online survey between September 25, 2019 and December 12, 2019. Based on the universe of followers of CPPI, this sample of 1,614 responses represents statistically significant findings with a standard sampling error of plus or minus 5%.
Second Annual Survey: Cost and Safety Primary Reasons for Importation from Canada
Released: January 2019
Americans continue to struggle with skyrocketing prescription drug prices. Personal prescription importation has given millions of Americans access to safe and affordable medications through licensed and legitimate online pharmacies.
This survey shows that cost is the primary reason that Americans order medications from online pharmacies in Canada as they feel it is a reasonable option for accessing life-saving and life-enhancing prescription drugs.
More than half of respondents (52 percent) report saving up to $199 each month by ordering through an online pharmacy. Among people who save more than $300 per month (38 percent of respondents), the average savings that they report is $910.
Thirty-nine percent of respondents learned about online pharmacies from either a healthcare provider or pharmacist. This is an increase compared to last year’s survey in which 26 percent of respondents cited learning about online pharmacies from a healthcare provider or pharmacist.
Survey respondents are aware of the dangers of rogue” pharmacies and they are savvy in their search to find an online pharmacy that they can trust. Furthermore, the majority of people (97 percent) who import their personal prescriptions would recommend accessing medications through licensed, legitimate online pharmacies to their friends and family members.
Below are additional findings from the survey:
Primary Reason is Cost: The majority of respondents (94 percent) – cite cost as the reason that they order their medications from an online pharmacy in Canada. Other reasons cited include consistency in pricing (9 percent); convenience (7 percent); consistency in availability (6 percent); and lack of availability in the U.S. (4 percent).
Spending through Ordering Online: Nearly half of respondents (48 percent) spend less than $99 per month ordering personal prescriptions from licensed online pharmacies in Canada. Thirty percent of respondents spend between $100-$199 and 12 percent spend between $200-$299. Among people who reported spending more than $300, the average amount they reported spending is $493 per month.
Savings through Ordering Online: We also asked survey respondents to compare what they would spend on their prescriptions in the U.S. to what they pay by purchasing them through a licensed online pharmacy in Canada. More than half of respondents (52 percent) report saving up to $199 each month by ordering through an online pharmacy. Among people who save more than $300 per month (38 percent of respondents), the average savings that they report is $910.
Insurance Coverage: Despite having Medicare or other insurance coverage, many Americans still purchase safe and affordable prescription drugs from Canada. More than half of respondents (67 percent) report having Medicare. Sixteen percent report that their employer provides insurance coverage, nine percent do not have insurance, and eight percent are self-insured.
Years of Ordering Online: More than half of respondents (52 percent) report ordering their prescription medications from an online pharmacy for less than three years. Thirty-one percent have been using online pharmacies for between four and seven years, and 17 percent of respondents have been ordering for more than eight years.
Recommendations to Family and Friends: Overwhelmingly, survey respondents (97 percent) would recommend ordering prescription medications from an online pharmacy in Canada to their family and friends. More than half of respondents (55 percent) know someone already who has ordered their medications from Canada.
Initial Awareness of Ordering Online: Sixty-one percent of people surveyed heard about online pharmacies from friends or family members. Thirty-nine percent of respondents learned about online pharmacies from either a healthcare provider or pharmacist. [Note: This is up compared to last year’s survey in which 26 percent of respondents cited learning about online pharmacies from a healthcare provider or pharmacist.]
Choosing an Online Pharmacy: More than 40 percent of people surveyed looked for a verified, certified site when deciding which online pharmacy to use. Twenty-eight percent of people surveyed use an online pharmacy that was recommended by a friend or family member. Twenty-nine percent of people selected a site based on ease of use or best price.
Knowledge of Rogue Pharmacies: The majority of respondents (78 percent) can properly identify the attributes of a rogue website that sells counterfeit medications.
Thousands of Americans use licensed Canadian pharmacies annually, to purchase their daily prescription medications at an affordable price. We believe that all Americans have a right to affordable medications. It is time to change the current U.S. policy on this issue to provide immediate access to life-saving medications, taken daily for chronic health conditions, at affordable prices.
Survey Methodology: CPPI conducted this online survey between September 3, 2018 and November 12, 2018. Based on the universe of followers of CPPI, this sample of 1,354 responses represents findings with a standard sampling error of plus or minus 5 percent.
First Annual Survey: Importation from Canada Provides a Safe and Affordable Solution for Accessing Prescription Medications
Released: December 2017
In 2017, we released a survey illustrating how Americans assess their experiences and perspectives on ordering prescription medications from licensed, legitimate online pharmacies in Canada. Below are the highlights.
Despite the rampant myths of safety concerns and lack of cost savings, the reality is that many people continue to purchase their personal prescriptions from online pharmacies in Canada, safely and at considerable cost savings.
Millions of people have been accessing prescription medication this way for many years, as they have learned that there are affordable and safe options to avoid the outrageous prices of pharmaceuticals in the U.S.
Below are additional findings from our national survey:
Primary Reason is Cost: The majority of respondents (79 percent) – cite cost as the primary reason that they order their medications from an online pharmacy in Canada. The other reasons cited include consistency in pricing (7 percent); convenience (5 percent); consistency in availability (5 percent); and lack of availability in the U.S. (4 percent).
Spending through Ordering Online: The majority of respondents (75 percent) spend less than $199 per month ordering personal prescriptions from licensed online pharmacies in Canada. Fourteen percent of respondents spend between $200-$299 and 10 percent spend more than $300. Among people who reported spending more than $300, the average amount they reported spending is $502 per month.
Savings through Ordering Online: We also asked survey respondents to compare what they would spend on their prescriptions in the U.S. to what they pay by purchasing them through a licensed online pharmacy in Canada. More than 60 percent of survey respondents report saving $100 or more each month by ordering through an online pharmacy. Among people who spend more than $300 per month (14 percent of respondents), the average savings that they report is $870.
Insurance Coverage: Despite having Medicare or other insurance coverage, many Americans still purchase safe and affordable prescription drugs from Canada. More than half of respondents (53 percent) report having Medicare, while 18 percent report paying out-of-pocket for their medications. Seventeen percent report that their employer provides insurance coverage, while nine percent are self-insured.
Years of Ordering Online: The majority of respondents (65 percent) report ordering their prescription medications from an online pharmacy for less than three years. Nearly one-quarter (23 percent) have been using online pharmacies for between four and seven years, and 11 percent of respondents have been ordering for more than eight years.
Recommendations to Family and Friends: Overwhelmingly, survey respondents (98 percent) would recommend ordering prescription medications from an online pharmacy in Canada to their family and friends because they believe it is a safe option.
Initial Awareness of Ordering Online: Twenty-six percent of respondents learned about online pharmacies from a doctor or pharmacist. Thirty-three percent of people surveyed heard about ordering drugs from Canada through a website. More than 25 percent learned about online pharmacies from friends or family members and 16 percent heard about them from the media.
This survey illustrates the reality that many Americans buy their daily prescription medications from licensed, legitimate Canadian pharmacies each year.
The high price of brand-name drugs in the U.S. has created a serious health crisis and is a significant burden for the elderly and others on fixed incomes. Millions of people, often the elderly with chronic health conditions, are either skipping doses, splitting pills, or forgoing medications completely, which can lead to serious health consequences.
Importing prescription medications from safe, verified pharmacies in Canada provides a lifeline to those in need of affordable life-saving and health maintenance medications.
Methodology: CPPI conducted this online survey between August 14 and October 12, 2017. Based on the universe of followers of CPPI, this sample of 2,851 responses represents findings with a sampling error of plus or minus 5 percent.