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About Discount Drug Services

• Americans Typically Charged More for Prescription Medications
• Background on the MedBasket.com Approach to Discount Medications
• Comparing Online Discount Prescription Medication Services
• Comparing Types of Online Medication Discounting Services
  • U.S. Medicine-Only Pharmacies
  • U.S. Online Pharmacies With Medical Consultations and Online Prescriptions
  • Foreign Online Pharmacies

Americans Typically Charged More for Prescription Medications

American consumers pay far higher prices for their prescription medications than citizens of almost any other country in the world.

By comparison, on average, Italians pay 53 percent of the U.S. cost for a brand-name drug, the French pay 55 percent, Canadians 62 percent, Swedes 64 percent, Germans 65 percent and Swiss and United Kingdom residents 69 percent. (Some eye-opening international drug price comparisons are available from the web site of U.S. Congressman Rep. Bernard Sanders (I-VT).)

At MedBasket.com, we believe in doing something about it!

Background on the MedBasket.com Approach to Discount Medications

This site came into existence specifically in response to the unfair pricing of prescription medications in the United States: it is specifically due to the unique legal environment in the United States that American consumers are forced to pay more than citizens of other countries.

In researching the available discount distribution channels for prescription medications, and in particular the channels which provide actual online medical advice and consultations rather than merely filling prescriptions (see below), we have discovered that many of the most popular services persist in charging very high prices for their medications rather than passing on to consumers the savings made possible by using the internet as a medium for operating a business. This site came into being based upon a determination to pass on a fair discount to consumers rather than continuing to gouge the U.S. consumer in the way so many other services have insisted upon doing.

At MedBasket.com, we believe in providing you choice, value, and the information required to make an informed decision about your own healthcare -- without ever compromising on quality.

Comparing Online Discount Prescription Medication Services

We're confident that the MedBasket.com shopfront offers unbeatable value compared to virtually all of the other shopfronts affiliated with our supplier, the Health Solutions Network.

When comparing prices, remember that we offer $9 FedEx Next Day shipping on all orders of any size.

Comparing Types of Online Medication Discounting Services

From the standpoint of the U.S. consumer, there are effectively three different types of online discounting services, each offering their own particular advantages and weaknesses.

U.S. Medicine-Only Pharmacies

The most well known online pharmacies in the United States supply only medications and require a prior prescription from your own doctor. You are responsible for organizing and paying for the consultation with your doctor as well as for faxing or mailing a copy of your prescription to the service concerned.

Pros:

• Low prices for the medication itself
• Longer operating history
• Large medication selection

Cons:

• Higher prices when the medical consultation is factored in
• Inconvenience of scheduling face-to-face consultation
• Slower response time when a prescription must be forwarded

Recommendations:

For customers who already have a prescription, we previously recommended one or more of these large online pharmacies. However, recent feedback consistently indicates that brick-and-mortar discount chains, such as Costco, now offer prices which are just as competitive, with the added benefit of face-to-face contact and without the extra delays involved with shipping medications.

U.S. Online Pharmacies With Medical Consultations and Online Prescriptions

The second category of United States online pharmacies includes those which, like MedBasket.com, provide actual medical oversight of the process, including an online medical consultation with a doctor. Pharmacies of this type can offer greater savings when compared to the total price of a medication and a separate face-to-face medical consultation.

Pros:

• Low price for the medication together with the consultation
• Convenient and private ordering online
• Rapid response time

Cons:

• Higher overall price because a consultation with a doctor is included
• Shorter operating history
• Smaller medication selection (because not all medications are suitable for prescribing remotely)

Foreign Online Pharmacies

Finally, some U.S. consumers are now buying discount medications online from countries which have more favourable pricing overall than the United States. Canadian online pharmacies and online pharmacies in Mexico are probably the best known and Canadian pharmacies in particular have been the subject of heated debate in the United States. You can read more about the controversy in the CounsellingResource.com article referenced above in the MedBasket.com Approach section.

Pros:

• Low prices for many medications in comparison to the U.S.
• Convenient and private ordering online

Cons:

• Uncertain legal status surrounding the FDA personal importation policy
• Uncertain legal recourse in the event of an order dispute with a supplier across national borders
• Longer shipping time
• Shorter operating history

Recommendations:

For customers who find the lower prices more attractive than the medical oversight offered via MedBasket.com, our top recommendations are FrugalMed and XL Pharmacy.

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