Cost of Drugs and Health Care Around the World
Have you ever wondered just how much more you are paying for prescription drugs in the United States? Spending on prescription drugs is one of the fastest growing segments of the American health care budget, according to Harvard. But other countries still have drugs that cost much less than they do in the U.S. This table shows the costs of nine prescription drugs that are commonly taken in the United States. Although it is impossible to definitively price point each drug, due to the fluctuations of supply and demand, these prices represent the average costs taken from several companies that ship the drugs from the countries listed to the United States. In the U.S. alone, according to statistics cited at health-insurance.org, prescription drug prices, in addition to average health care costs, have been going up 10-12% every year.
| United Kingdom | Canada | India | New Zealand | Fiji | |
| Allegra (120 mg) | $1.09 | $1.12 | $.53 | $.88 | $.98 |
| Crestor (10 mg) | $1.57 | $1.71 | $1.48 | $1.26 | $1.87 |
| Flomax (0.4 mg) | $1.15 | $1.26 | $1.10 | $1.15 | $.90 |
| Lexapro (10 mg) | $2.08 | $1.24 | $1.26 | $1.87 | $1.47 |
| Plavix (75 mg) | $3.10 | $2.95 | $2.74 | $3.02 | $2.91 |
| Propecia (1 mg) | $2.28 | $2.14 | $2.31 | $2.08 | $2.14 |
| Zoloft | $1.89 | $1.10 | $1.75 | $1.69 | $1.49 |
| Zyrtec (20 mg) | $.98 | $.91 | $1.04 | $1.04 | Not Available |
Keep in mind that the actual prescription price for a citizen in these countries may be different than the end cost to an American, as these prices reflect what companies charge to sell prescription drugs to people in America. The actual costs might be higher or lower than listed for those that live in the country, depending on the country, the drug, and any health insurance coverage that the person might have. In Europe, for example, the cost of drugs is strictly regulated by the government. Using this table to determine how much people in other countries pay for their prescription drugs could lead to inaccurate conclusions. This is not the information that the table attempts to portray.
If you are a United States citizen thinking about purchasing drugs from another country, then you should be aware that doing so is technically illegal, but several US government officials have publicly stated that the government will not pursue people who violate these laws – at least at this time. Since the government neither endorses nor actively restricts this behavior, you are taking some risk when you purchase prescription drugs from foreign countries because it is possible, though not probable, that you could be prosecuted.
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