New Survey: Americans Continue to Cite Safety and Affordability as Primary Reasons for Personal Prescription Importation from Canada

WASHINGTON, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation (CPPI) today released survey results showing that 94% of respondents cite cost as the primary reason for ordering from licensed online pharmacies and 98% of respondents would 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.

Below are 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.

For more information on personal prescription importation and how to find an online pharmacy that you can trust, please visit this link: https://personalimportation.org/

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%.

About the Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation
https://personalimportation.org 

The Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation (CPPI) is a national nonprofit patient advocacy organization that fights for Americans' access to safe, affordable prescription medications from Canada for personal use. Tens of millions of Americans – especially the elderly and others on fixed incomes – struggle to pay the extremely high price of prescription medications in the U.S. We are here to be their voice.

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.

SOURCE Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation