I’ve always heard that Canadians pay way less for prescription drugs compared to our American counterparts… but it seems we pay way more for OTC medication. Anyone know why that is? I’ve been paying $36.99 for 100 Benadryl when you can get 500 for $7 at Costco in the US. I’m shook. - ThreadSky

broadwaybabyto.bsky.social • 7 days ago

I’ve always heard that Canadians pay way less for prescription drugs compared to our American counterparts… but it seems we pay way more for OTC medication.

Anyone know why that is? I’ve been paying $36.99 for 100 Benadryl when you can get 500 for $7 at Costco in the US.

I’m shook.

Comments

edwardtoronto.bsky.social•7 days ago

Kinda depends. When I quit smoking and went to Nicorettes, I noticed in Canada these were 50% less (and still are to this day) than the US price (even at Costco).

itsmimie.bsky.social•7 days ago

Because most of us go to the doctor as a last resort. We’re constantly treating symptoms

taviellie.bsky.social•7 days ago

4.00 at a store I’m not endorsing.

dholladay.bsky.social•7 days ago

$36.99???!! I can buy a 1,000 ct bottle for $11.99.

broadwaybabyto.bsky.social•7 days ago

I can’t believe how much I’ve been paying! I’ve got mcas too so I need alot of it.

dholladay.bsky.social•7 days ago

Tell me about it, I get hives from stress, cold and exercise, so basically from being alive.

isntbel.bsky.social•7 days ago

same i just have to pretend i cant read when ppl talk abt the benadryl dementia thing my life expectancy isn’t that long anyway

xenusparadox.bsky.social•7 days ago

I'll smuggle Benadryl across the border if you give me a place to hide when the death squads come

xenusparadox.bsky.social•7 days ago

The real reason we're invading is to bring you cheap Benadryl and expensive insulin

suanish.bsky.social•7 days ago

It’s Costco that’s why

broadwaybabyto.bsky.social•7 days ago

Costco here it’s still nearly $30 though.

barrowmember.bsky.social•7 days ago

FYI in the UK, it's around £10 for 24 Benadryl (Acrivastine here, not Diphenhydramine. It's £6-8 for 20 Diphenhydramine.) I wish we had bulk packs like you seem to. It's illegal to sell more than 100 aspirin at a time (let alone anything stronger) & you can't buy more than 2 packs (max 32) at a time

broadwaybabyto.bsky.social•7 days ago

Oh wow that’s definitely more expensive than here! We can buy in 60s and 100s here. I don’t think we do the bigger bulk packs they do in the US.

cinnamonremote.bsky.social•7 days ago

Which is enormous fun when your GP tells you to take paracetamol 3 to 4 times a day to reduce inflammation but does not prescribe any… all the shops, maybe the extra exercise traipsing to several shops to stock up is part of the treatment?

fayemontford.bsky.social•7 days ago

Paracetamol won't reduce inflammation though will it?

fernmonkey.bsky.social•7 days ago

Doctors here are mysteriously obsessed with paracetamol, and give it for everything. It doesn't do SHIT for me.

fayemontford.bsky.social•7 days ago

It's one of those pain meds that does work but only when taking it over a period of time. Just 2 paracetamol won't do much but 2 every 4 hours will build up nicely. I do agree though major pain it doesn't touch. Like my fibromyalgia pain does jack shit.

fernmonkey.bsky.social•7 days ago

Yeah, I know the theory, but I can't shake the suspicion that building up paracetamol levels like that has got to be awful for the liver.

cinnamonremote.bsky.social•7 days ago

That’s exactly why he prescribed it and explained the build up. I’m still in most of the pains, but the gall bladder is not as severe and there’s the feeling less cold so I think it’s touched the fibro a bit.

barrowmember.bsky.social•7 days ago

Good point! AFAIK it's not anti-inflammatory. Aspirin, I could understand. Also, daily Paracetamol would worry me (even if I wasn't allergic to it) in terms of long-term effects on the liver & stomach. I tend to use Tiger Balm, ginger (https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/ginger-benefits), magnesium & Ibuprofen.

fayemontford.bsky.social•7 days ago

I'm a big advocate for Apple cider vinegar with turmeric and black pepper. Black pepper helps the body absorb turmeric. And the ACV gut health is key so.

barrowmember.bsky.social•7 days ago

I can't have vinegar but I drink LOADS of Golden (oat) Milk https://downshiftology.com/recipes/turmeric-milk-dairy-free/ and add Turmeric to as many things as I can. Turmeric is great for dying clothes/crafting materials too, esp as it changes from golden to orange/red with addition of baking soda so can be 'magic' with kids

cinnamonremote.bsky.social•7 days ago

Paracetamol is the only pain med I can take due to stomach problems, as it guessing bother mine. Liver not a worry as it’s within safe tested dosage levels. Ginger is indeed great for the nausea, love some ginger tea.

cinnamonremote.bsky.social•7 days ago

Yes. It’s an anti inflammatory, and it’s actually been helping, I’m not cold all the time any more for a start and it’s making the waiting for gall bladder removal less painful. So GP correct, it’s just getting the meds is a hassle.

Tumeric is contraindicated with many medications.

fayemontford.bsky.social•7 days ago

I feel your pain. My daughter had gall bladder trouble for 6 months before they removed it.

cinnamonremote.bsky.social•7 days ago

Been a few years for me, turns out the pain I was getting loads of tests for for several years until previous GP gave up was in fact the huge gall stone, new GP at practice is a former general surgeon and figured it out right away, so I’m on the emergency list, prob another few years wait then.

barrowmember.bsky.social•7 days ago

The exercise is probably more beneficial than the Paracetamol... https://www.nature.com/articles/nri3041

cinnamonremote.bsky.social•7 days ago

Pity I’ve exercise intolerance from the fibro isn’t it?

barrowmember.bsky.social•7 days ago

I feel that one! My EDS means that exercise has to be micropaced & many days my pain/fatigue is too high for physio (I do singing on those days - & most days, for pain relief, & fun). Exercise takes recovery time - even getting to leisure centre generally = week largely immobilised in bed + migraine

cinnamonremote.bsky.social•7 days ago

EDS here too every now and again I think, is it just the hypermobility and autistic burn out, then I have a flare up or bump a pain point and remember that no, definitely fibro as well.

GP said I sounded like I wasn’t in much pain. Explained autistic masking with chronic pain, emergency referral.

barrowmember.bsky.social•7 days ago

And that's without taking into account the pill packaging Krypton Factor. I suspect some pill packet designers would work more effectively in security: I've had to get friends to open some meds I've been prescribed. See also, 'Put tiny pills in Industrial Strength Foil so they ping across the room'.

cinnamonremote.bsky.social•7 days ago

And why are the tiny ones so perfectly sized for trying to go down the wrong tube?

cinnamonremote.bsky.social•7 days ago

The NHS of course gets charged more for meds than the shops sell them for. Talking to a pharmacist last year I found out that my gut bacteria tablets cost the NHS twice as much as I’m paying in the shops. That needs sorted out. No more ripping off the NHS!

barrowmember.bsky.social•7 days ago

That's immoral/vile & something government should sort ASAP. I wonder if anyone in power happens to have shares in the companies selling pills at 2x price they should to the NHS? (I feel we should have generics with no sweeteners/dyes in them as standard. Discovered recently GPs can't specify that!)

cinnamonremote.bsky.social•7 days ago

And no lactose! Seriously? Why?

barrowmember.bsky.social•7 days ago

Great point, & something I hadn't thought to check for: TY for flagging as may affect MCAS. I have no idea why lactose/dyes are needed in meds (& why if they ARE essential, they don't use natural dyes [eg beetroot] which WAY fewer people have allergies to than coal tar https://www.mashed.com/1784443/red-dye-no-3-complete-history-in-food/

tambourine.bsky.social•7 days ago

i’m supposed to take daily aspirin and it’s so hard to actually buy enough. once tried to order all of two packs in a boots order and got phoned up by a pharmacist demanding to know why?!

violacasa.bsky.social•7 days ago

... and in Germany you are only allowed to buy up to 60 pills.
(100 pills ~ 25-50€ )

oldmanant.bsky.social•7 days ago

They still got Tylenol 3s over the county there?

broadwaybabyto.bsky.social•7 days ago

I don’t think so. I believe it’s 1 and 2 only.

nhutchings.bsky.social•7 days ago

They sell Tylenol w/codeine over the counter in Canada?

broadwaybabyto.bsky.social•7 days ago

They do! Is that unusual? Pretty sure it’s the same in the UK and Australia too.

m00psy.bsky.social•7 days ago

yes it's unusual in the US. jealous!

broadwaybabyto.bsky.social•7 days ago

I’m sorry I had no idea! I knew you guys were stricter about controlled substances but a Tylenol one has barely any in it!

gramyre.bsky.social•7 days ago

No codeine medicines are available otc in Australia- many chronically ill people have suffered greatly because of having to o to your gp that you aren’t drug addicted…

gramyre.bsky.social•7 days ago

Missing word ‘prove’

nhutchings.bsky.social•7 days ago

I belive some states can sell small amounts of promethazine/codeine OTC, but not California. Zero opioids are OTC here.

chantalmonique.bsky.social•7 days ago

Since my 20s, every time I visited Canada I would make sure to bring back the Tylenol w codeine. The pharmacists would always laugh because I guess it was such common behavior for Americans to seek it. I had really painful periods and its prescription only in the US.

occasionaladult.bsky.social•7 days ago

Can confirm Benadryl (generic at least) is hella cheap here in the U.S. I get 100 capsules for less than $4.50 at Walmart. My MCAS appreciates it.

pamriley.bsky.social•7 days ago

Buy generic diphenhydramine at amazon, target or walmart ( or Canadian equivalent)

broadwaybabyto.bsky.social•7 days ago

It’s only a few dollars cheaper here even for the generic!

authorcaseywolfe.bsky.social•7 days ago

Are you able to get a script for it from the doctor? Not even sure if that's a trick you can use in Canada. In the U.S. we can get certain OTC's prescribed and thus covered by insurance.

flpublicaffairs.bsky.social•7 days ago

Save even more and just get generic Diphenhydramine (the chemical name for Benadryl).

Here are 100 for $5.20 USD 👇🏼

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