Americans Are Turning to Canada to Escape the Insane EpiPen Price Hike

South of the Border, Americans are experiencing some major sticker shock over the price of EpiPen injectors.

The life-saving drug that many people with severe allergies need to carry around with them in case of a reaction now costs $609 per.

That’s a 400 per cent increase since 2009.

While many people have spoken out over about the insane price hike, most notably actress Sarah Jessica Parker, who has stepped down as the face of EpiPen company Mylan because of it, other people are simply looking elsewhere.

This job isn't always easy

Fortunately, Canada is not just a safe haven for people fleeing a potential Trump presidency – we’re also a great source of cheap drugs.

The cost of a single injector here is about $100.

“For families that have a budget that they have to adhere to and are concerned about the pricing in the United States right now … I say, purchase it through Canada,” allergy advocate Nicole Smith told Metro News.

Image: Joe Raedle / Getty

Image: Joe Raedle / Getty

According to a spokesperson from Pfizer Canada, our EpiPen distributor, the Canadian price has remained constant for more than five years due to regulation by the Patented Medicine Price Review Board, which strictly controls the prices pharmaceutical companies can charge for their products.

After pressure from groups like the American Medical Association and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Mylan said it would lower the cost of the drug for some patients. They say they will double the number of patients eligible for its assistance programs, which allows lower-income families and those with inadequate insurance coverage to get an EpiPen for free. They will also offer a savings card to cover up to $300 of the cost of a two-pack, a significant increase from the $100 card it previously offered.

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Still, this doesn’t change the fact that the U.S. version costs three times the amount of the same drug available in Canada.

As Smith points out, “If Canada is selling them for $110 per EpiPen, there is no reason then that the price of a two-pack in the United States should be over $600. I’m assuming that they’re still making money on it in Canada.”

But don’t worry, allergy-suffering Americans – while you’re waiting on those savings cards, we Canadians have your back.

 

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