December 2021 – Page 9

Canadian Pharmacy Prescriptions

Canadian pharmacies are doling out prescriptions like never before. While they are serving a huge domestic market, they are also catering to customers in the US. These pharmacies operating out of Canada are filling out prescriptions for everything from common cold to controlling blood pressure.

It is understood that they can read prescriptions given out by Canadian doctors for Canadian patients but what about the patients across the border residing in the USA? In many cases, a Canadian doctor rewrites the prescription given out by his US counterpart so as to make the whole process of filing out process legal. In case of unlicensed pharmacies, no one bothers as, prescriptions are not needed just name the drug and they will ship it across to you. Negligence of some of the basic business ethics by certain firms has led to these pharmacies coming under the scanner of authorities both in the US and Canada.

In the US, fears have been raised over the risk to patients from sale of counterfeit drugs. These drugs may contain inert components, which can cause significant harm to the body of the consumer. In some cases it has been found legitimate drugs well past their expiry date were diverted to illegitimate retailers for sale across the internet. Cases of improperly manufactured drugs have also come to light.

According to the Canadian Medical Association, physicians should necessarily conduct a physical exam and discuss the merits and risks associated with consumption of a particular drug before it is prescribed. However, in case of many Canadian pharmacies this was not found to be the case. This was also facilitated by desperate patients in the United States who were willing to buy anything offered cheap for various ailments without being bothered about its side effects.

Some Canadian pharmacies have however, implemented many measures to gain trust of the customer based in US. Most notable among them is arranging for a visit by a Canada based physician to the patient in US for examining him before filling out a prescription. All this is happening while the business for Canadian firms is growing by leaps and bounds. Canadian firms are now filling out prescriptions like never before. Some firms have claimed to have filled as much as 3000 prescriptions a day indicating the volume of business catered to by these pharmacies.

So irrespective of the some of the measures being planned to regulate these pharmacies, it only seems that these firms will continue witness healthy growth rates.

Canadian Pharmacies

The US pharmaceutical industry is currently fighting it out with their Canadian counterparts. The reason? For one, the latter has managed to garner a sizeable amount of the former’s market share. Driven by cheaper prices, this trend is continuing and Canadian pharmacies are adding customers like never before. US pharmaceutical companies have gone on the offensive, criticizing their Canadian counterparts for indulging in unfair trade practices.

The origin of this conflict goes back to the early 90s when the American industry lobbied hard to make cross-border trading with Canada and Mexico duty free. The result of this was the North American Free trade Agreement or NAFTA. Thanks to NAFTA, trade between the three North American countries (the US, Canada and Mexico) began growing. NAFTA permitted free movement of goods across the borders without the imposition of usual cross-border tariffs.

The American industry benefited enormously from this because they could now outsource their manufacturing to these countries and sell the finished products back again to them. Thus the manufacturing costs went down and profits began coming in. American pharmacies, whose main rival those days was Europe, also benefited from this, as most of their R&D facilities were in Canada and the work was done at much lower rates.

The joy of American pharmaceutical companies was short lived as many Canadian companies started selling drugs at discounted prices to US customers. This was done as Canadian companies realized that the cheaper R&D and manufacturing costs can be used to offer cheaper drugs to customers. Further, the price of drugs in Canada is strictly regulated by the government. On an average, a buyer based in US can save anything from $50-$200 a month by purchasing drugs from across the border. Displaying a spirit of competitive capitalism, the Canadian companies began selling drugs directly to US customers in Border States and by other means, like Internet and phone, to buyers in other areas.

In the US, it is illegal to import prescription drugs from Canada. However, import of drugs for up to 3 months of personal use is permitted.

The interesting fact is that most of the brand-name prescription drugs sold in Canada and the US are all products of the same manufacturing plants. Canada imports many raw materials and finished products from the US. Thus, most Americans may actually be re-importing American drugs.

With increasing profits, Canadian pharmaceutical companies started looking at other means of marketing including sale via the internet and mail order delivery. The American model of differential pricing at the retail level and for bulk customers like insurance companies means that the real price of a drug sold may not be known. Thus, the main segment of customers who have approached Canadian pharmacies are either the uninsured or those states whose negotiation power has been curtailed thanks to various regulations. Thus, indirectly at least, these purchasers are actually paying for the subsidies doled out to the insured. This is why they end up paying more for the drugs in their own country.

In the long run however the increase in purchase from Canada may actually push the retail prices in Canada North wards. A phenomenon, which, is already happening thus, sooner or later Canadian drugs may also become expensive on par with their US counterparts. But for now at least, the Canadian pharmacies seem to be on the right track.

Canadian Online Pharmacy

Health care is becoming increasingly expensive. Who doesn’t want to take advantage of medicines available at lower prices? The concept of an online pharmacy serves the purpose well because of the savings and comfort of door delivery. It is a commonly known fact that drugs available in Canada are cheaper than in the US. There are several reasons to it. The US dollar being stronger implies savings in purchases from Canada. Also, generic medicines from Canada cost less than their branded American counterparts. There is no compromise on quality yet the prices are much lower.

Though a large amount of money is saved by ordering drugs from online Canadian pharmacies, it is important to double check whether an online pharmacy is authentic or not as even the smallest ignorance can cause huge health damages. For instance, improper storage and refrigeration while shipping or not putting appropriate labels on the packaging. Online pharmacies claming to be from Canada may not be actually from Canada. Some pharmacies even glorify the fact that they do not need a doctor’s prescription. Quality of drugs is the most important thing. Generic medicines though cheap may not always be good. So it is better to check on them before ordering. It is better to order drugs directly to an online pharmacy rather than brokers. In case of any problem, such an order will take a longer time to be corrected.

Experts recommend certain practices to ascertain safe and quality services from Canadian online pharmacies. Consumers can check authenticity of a pharmacy by the license number and authenticity seal displayed on the website. Good pharmacies provide medicines only after they get proof of the doctor’s prescription. Complete address and toll-free number of the pharmacy should be provided. Good pharmacies also describe differences between American drugs and their Canadian counterparts. The website must contain details of refunds, payment mode and shipping or other charges. Labeling is very important and must be checked when order is received. Labels should have information on the drug name, strength, dosage, expiry and other technical information.

The US and Canadian regulatory bodies are also working on a safe supply of medicines to put a strict check on illegal activities. However, it is the consumer who needs to be well informed and alert. All this information is not to spread bad word about Canadian online pharmacies but only to make people aware as health is the biggest asset.

Canadian Mail Order Pharmacy

Canadian mail order pharmacy has become another means to reach out to the US customer in need of cheaper medication. The business is growing and attracting new customers daily. Many Internet sites have sprung up as intermediaries for transacting drug business between users and pharmacies in Canada and outside.

As is the case with online pharmacy, these sites also offer drugs for purchase at rates that can compete with the best offered in the US. These firms offer a mix consisting of both brand name and generic prescription medications. Most sites claim to offer up to 3,000 prescription and non-prescription medications and savings of up to 80% as compared to US retail prices.

Mail order pharmacy is also fast catching up among US customers. In this case also, most of the intermediaries and the original pharmacies do not require a valid prescription by a doctor either in US or Canada. In fact you just have to name the drug and it is yours. Some of them are offering a catalog, which allows customers to choose import of drugs from other countries, which are even cheaper. Comparative prices of the requisite drug in at least five countries are listed and these firms even assist the customer in making his purchase decision.

All these services can be accessed from the comfort of ones home. The competitive pricing strategy coupled with the range of services offered has raked in millions of dollars for the Canadian pharmacy companies. Unless Canada regulates the business or the prices of drugs goes up in that country, the demand for mail order drugs will only increase.

Canadian Immigration

Though vast in geographical area, Canada has a smallish population. There is a shortage of skilled workers, investors and entrepreneurs to meet the economic growth requirements of Canada. Therefore, the Canadian government encourages these categories of persons to immigrate to Canada and contribute towards its prosperity and strength.

If you are a skilled person, you are most welcome to immigrate to Canada and become a permanent citizen of the country. The Canadian government has laid down six selection criteria towards which you must earn a certain number of points in order to be considered eligible for immigration. You should have a sufficient knowledge of English or French and work experience of at least 10 years, including one year of full-time paid work in your field, besides other related qualifications.

There is a Business Immigration Program also for businessmen. They should be able to invest at least $400,000. The alternative to this is that they should be able to own and manage a business in Canada. There are three classes of such business immigrants, each with separate eligibility criteria. These classes are investors, entrepreneurs and self-employed persons. You can apply for only one category, even if you fulfill requirements for other categories. Once selected, a category cannot be changed.

The first category is investors. You must be an experienced businessman and your financial net worth should be at least $800,000 Canadian. The second category consists of entrepreneurs. These should be able to own and actively run a business in Canada so as to contribute to its economy and create jobs.

If you are a self-employed person or a farmer with relevant experience in your field of economic activity, you also are welcome to settle in Canada. In either case, you should have sufficient funds to start and operate your business. Farmers should have sufficient funds to purchase land and manage it.

Besides the above categories, the French speaking Francophone minority communities can also immigrate to Canada. This is to ensure that the French speaking minorities are given a chance to socially and culturally integrate with Canadian society.

Canadian E Commerce Web Hosting

Online purchases in Canada totaled about $8.5 million Canadian dollars in 2004. Most of these items included books and reservations for travel and lodging. Only thirty-six percent of Canadian businesses have a website presence. The adoption for small, medium, and large businesses is slowly increasing at a rate of two to three percentage points. The rapid advances in technology have resulted in consumer confidence in private data protection, increasing the online sales.

E-commerce is a way of doing consumer-oriented business transactions over the Internet. This is actually retailing in the Internet format. Just as in a supermarket, online consumers choose products by navigating the site along the categories of products and make payments online using credit cards. The products are then delivered within a certain period.

Web hosting is one of the links in the e-commerce process. The chain is formed by different links such as websites, shopping processes, credit card processing, and merchant accounts. Websites are hosted by an external provider or perhaps the business itself. The shopping process is actually a shopping cart that allows the selection of products just like placing the products in a supermarket cart. When the customer finalizes the buying process by filling in the credit card form, the credit card is processed to check the validity of the card. The processed information is sent to a merchant, who credits to the account of the business.

The value of web hosting lies in providing the seamless transfer of the process between various links. The web host could also add value by designing the site for the shopping cart and processing the credit card. It could also provide value-added information about the e-commerce process to the clients in order to make the process clear.

The value addition in the chain puts web hosting services at $200 and more. Many web hosting providers have combined with credit card processors to add value. Some of the main issues in deciding on an e-commerce host are bandwidth, security, back-end integration, reliability, and server set up.

Canadian Drugs Online

Online Canadian pharmacies supply safe and reliable prescription drugs to customers worldwide. These are fully licensed online pharmacies. They are able to provide up to an 85% discount on more than 3000 brand names of medicines and generic drugs.

Through an online ordering system, prescription and non-prescription quality drugs are safely delivered to customers. Canadian pharmacists are qualified, licensed professionals. The order is processed only for a valid original prescription from a qualified and licensed physician. Some pharmacists arrange for a Canadian physician to review and sign the prescriptions to ensure the safety and authenticity of the prescription. They acquire the drugs on the prescriptions and also take care of shipping them to the customer.

Canadian drugs are not cheaper because they are inferior in quality. These drugs are offered cheaper because Canada has a policy of controlling drug prices. These drugs are similar to, or the same as, the ones manufactured in US. Very often, Canadian pharmacies offer a generic version of the same drug. The only difference between the branded drugs and the generic drugs is the cost. Online pharmacies offer generic drugs at about 45% less than the cost of brand-name drugs. They ensure that the active ingredients in both the generic and the brand-name drugs meet the same scientific standards.

Canadian online drugstores have earned accreditations and in recent times, have become very trusted sources for providing cheap and quality drugs. These online pharmacies also offer over the counter drugs and essential drugs that are sometimes not easily available in the US. It is mandatory for these online drugstores to be members of the Canadian Internet Pharmacy Association.

Patients can order their drugs online or through fax or phone. The service is usually friendly and prompt. The customer service agents have a pharmacy background, and are knowledgeable and able to assist the patients when they call the toll-free numbers. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are available 7 days a week to help with a customer’s orders. The safety of drugs is guaranteed, and they are approved and checked by regulatory bodies in Canada. It often takes about 3 to 4 weeks to deliver the medicines to a US customer.

Canadian online pharmacies truly make the experience of buying drugs over the Internet a good experience. By offering drugs at affordable costs, online pharmacies based in Canada have eased the worries about high medication costs for many Americans.

Canadian Discount Pharmacy

When it comes to grabbing a sizeable share of the US pharmacy market, the Canadian discount pharmacies have already achieved the target and are now going further. Driven by competitive prices and low investment requirements, these companies are now giving extensive competition to their US counterparts who seem to be loosing the battle on their home turf.

The problem with purchase of drugs in US is that the government is not regulating the price of drugs there. This means that most Americans have to pay more than their counterparts in G-8 countries for purchasing essential drugs. The aggressive pricing policies pursued by the American pharmacy companies have only helped increase the rates further. This has led to US buyers frantically searching for other alternatives for buying cheaper prescription drugs and they did not have to look beyond Canada.

Operating out of Canada, most of the discount pharmacies are low-investment startups that have made healthy profits in the last few years. Even though competitive discounts are offered, low labor requirements, coupled with low initial investments and little infrastructure requirements, ensure that the balance sheets always end up on the positive side. The margins are quite handsome and an ever increasing demand inside the US has encouraged many to go in for similar ventures. In fact it seems to be quite a lucrative proposition as indicated by the number of entrepreneurs it has managed to attract in the last few years.

These stores most of which operate out of the net claim to offer confidential service that one can get at their neighborhood pharmacy store without even leaving their homes. Their advertisements claim to offer nearly 5000 prescription and over-the-counter drugs for up to 70 percent less than what is available in the American markets. Wait, there’s more one can also get generic alternatives imported from other countries at prices which may seem throwaway for most Americans.

Though the licensed discount pharmacies in Canada ask for a US prescription, the unlicensed ones just ask for the name of the required drug. The number of unlicensed online stores has seen a steady increase and it is said to be in the ratio of 2 unlicensed ones for every three licensed stores. Wide payment options are also offered one can pay in dollars, euros or even through intermediaries which facilitate easier financial transaction. The lure of cheap drugs is so much that most customers do not mind the 10-12 day wait for arrival of the ordered drugs.

The volume of business catered to by Canadian discount stores is nothing but astounding. The licensed discount stores claim to fill up to a whopping 3000 prescriptions a day. In such a scenario, one can only imaging the amount of prescriptions filled in by the unlicensed discount stores can only be guessed. Some of the licensed discount pharmacies have gone beyond just filling up prescriptions they even arrange for a Canadian physician to evaluate and co sign prescriptions. For bulk orders or for orders above $100, many discount stores even offer to ship home your purchase free of cost.

In lieu of providing such diverse array of services, it is no wonder that the industry is now said to be worth any where from $1-5 billion a year. The Canadian discount pharmacies may however face some competition from their Mexican counterparts as the industry there is now growing and soon may explore means of reaching out to customers in US. This may however happen somewhere in the next decade or so, and till then, the Canadian pharmacies will continue to sell their drugs to US customers.

The windfall profits have further augmented the capacities of these stores and many are planning to launch customized services for regular clients. Till now, word of mouth and internet search was the most common mode to reach out to customers. All this may however soon change as many stores are also planning to introduce unique marketing strategies to locate and reach out to potential customers faster. This may indicate the direction in which the discount stores are headed to in the future.

Canada Ski Vacations

With its splendid skiing options, Canada has now become a popular ski vacation destination. Canada encompasses numerous ski resorts on both its west and east coasts, with each coast offering a different appeal. Skiers to Canada are welcomed with pure powder snow. Fernie, in British Columbia, has enough snow to satiate you, even without using artificial snowmaking facilities.

As a traveler to Canada, you are bound to experience the friendliness of its people, high levels of service, and solid accommodations. The varied food offered in Canada is also remarkable. In Canada, you will come across some of the best-kept ski resorts in North America.

Canada, the second largest country in the world, has an ample number of breathtaking ski resorts. It is also referred as the backcountry capital of the world. With acres and acres of skiing piste on offer, you will surely find a piste to suit your taste and level of expertise.

Ski resorts on the west coast of Canada have virtually guaranteed snow, with occasional rain and chilling temperatures. The east coast does not offer consistent and good quality snow. The ski resorts on the east coast are as good for skiing in comparison with the west coast. It is better suited for travelers wanting to spend a weekend relaxing.

The well-known resorts of Canada are Whistler, Fernie, Banff, Lake Louise, Mont Tremblant, Big White, and Red Mountain, to name a few. Canadian ski resorts have something to offer for everyone, be it skiing or aprxe8s-ski.

Canada, as a ski vacation destination, offers enjoyment whether you are a ski enthusiast or not. There are numerous agencies offering you great deals for a ski vacation in the country. The better way to find one is to search the Internet and find yourself a deal that suits your budget; take a flight to Canada and explore its ski resorts.

Canada Employment Immigration

Both the birth and death rates in Canada are on the decline. As a result, the young and skilled population is in short supply. To offset this situation, the government of Canada has loosened its immigration policy to allow immigrants from other countries to settle in Canada and work for its growth and prosperity. The Canadian government encourages skilled and self-employed persons, investors, businessmen, entrepreneurs and farmers to permanently settle in Canada to boost its economy.

Among the categories of immigrants who are welcome to seek employment in Canada, the skilled workers with good qualifications and plenty of experience are the most welcome. Several types of programs are available for skilled persons.

The Canadian government has laid down six criteria for which you or your spouse must earn sufficient points in order to be considered eligible for immigration. Skilled and educated persons should have knowledge of English or French. They should have work experience of at least 10 years, including one year’s worth of full-time paid work in their field. The Canadian National Occupational Classification has set up certain Skill Types and Skill Levels to classify skilled workers. To qualify for immigration, the applicant must be in Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B.

Besides the skills, you should also possess sufficient funds to settle and manage your business. You should also be able to transfer your skills to others and at the same time generate jobs. The government of Canada is ready to offer employment chances to about 116,000 in various categories of skilled persons, entrepreneurs and self-employed persons in the year 2005-2006.

Besides the employment immigration offered by the government of Canada, the provincial government of Quebec also offers immigration for employment under its Quebec Immigration Service, which it shares with the government of Canada. A person with the right qualifications and experience with no health and security problems may be considered for employment.

In addition to the above categories, there is a Federal Self-Employed Program in cultural activities and athletics, which offers employment immigration to world-class athletes and participants in cultural programs. Farmers with sufficient funds and experience in farm management are also eligible in this category.