For decades Americans have turned to Canadian pharmacy referral services to mitigate high domestic drug prices, often saving hundreds if not thousands of dollars annually on their prescription drug purchases. However, the Trump administration’s imposition of tariffs on a variety of imported goods including pharmaceuticals has raised concerns, especially among seniors, who rely on less expensive imported drugs to maintain their health. Indeed, for some, especially seniors with modest fixed incomes and serious health conditions, affordable drug prices can be a matter of life and death.
Despite Tariffs Canada Still Best Alternative to High American Drug Prices
Currently, pharmaceutical companies set prices according to what the American market will bear. This free-market approach, along with long-term patent protection for new products, results in limited competition and consumer choice. This lack of checks and balances on drug pricing means Americans pay some of the highest drug prices in the world. Consequently, in an effort to lower domestic drug prices, the current Administration is implementing a “Most Favored Nation” (MFN) purchasing model for Medicare Part B medications. While the initiative is laudable, many roadblocks remain. However, a direct-to-consumer model to access affordable drug prices already exits – indeed it has been available to American patients for decades.
Accredited Canadian pharmacy referral services procure their products from jurisdictions where price controls exist by law. As a result, drugs imported into America from these jurisdictions can cost up to 80% less than their domestic counterparts. The referral services generally import their products from favored nations including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Congress has recognized these nations as “favored” due to their high product quality, handling and safety standards. This assures patients that despite their low cost, the products they receive from these referral services are safe and comparable in efficacy to their domestically purchased counterparts. So, what affect have tariffs had on the price of drugs entering America from abroad?
In the past, imported goods valued under $800 were exempt from importation fees under a “de minimis” exemption. However, as of August 2025, this exemption was lifted, and all goods entering America are now subject to new customs declaration and prepayment procedures in the form of prepaid tariffs, import duties, administration and handling fees. In general, this has translated into slightly higher prices and slightly longer shipping times for medications arriving in America from abroad. The good news is, the Canadian pharmacy referral services take care of all the requisite importation paperwork and pre-payments. The only changes patients are experiencing are slight increases in the total price of their orders.
So how much more can we expect to pay?
To get a handle on how much more we can expect to pay if we order our medications from Canada under the new tariff policy, we visited PlanetDrugsDirect.com. We chose PlanetDrugsDirect.com since the company is one of the most popular Canadian pharmacy referral services, with a great reputation for low prices and excellent service. It is important to remember that there are many variables when price shopping for prescription drugs since base prices fluctuate, and tariff amounts depend on the country where the products originate from.
As an example, let’s explore name brand Gemtesa (sometimes referred to as Vibegron or Obgemsa) in a 75mg dose for 90 tablets. Planet’s price is $417.99. The best local American price, according to GoodRx, is $1,514.70. If we were to order our Gemtesa from PlanetDrugDirect.com our price would be $417.99 + a $5.00 handling fee + $62.70 import duty for a total of $485.69. Assuming the best GoodRx price has no shipping fees, by ordering through Planet, the savings would be a very substantial $1,029.01 or about 68%.
As another example, we checked Planet’s catalogue for a price for name brand Eliquis. Planet’s price for 5mg, 180 tablets is $389.99 while GoodRx’s price is $1,908.00. Interestingly, Planet’s Eliquis originates from America and is shipped through Australia so there are no duties or administration fees applied. Assuming the GoodRx price has no shipping fees, with Planet we save $1,518.01 or about 79%.
As we can see, despite the new duties and handling fees, purchasing our prescription medications through PlanetDrugsDirect.com is still far less expensive than purchasing from a local American pharmacy. It is important to remember that prices are subject to change, so to get the most up-to-date information it is best to visit the PlanetDrugsDirect.com website, or by calling their toll-free number 1-888-791-3784 to speak with an agent who will research the price for us. Planet’s agents will also try to source our medication from the location with the lowest applicable tariffs. It is also a good idea to check whether a generic version of our drug is available for even greater savings.
About PlanetDrugsDirect.com
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PlanetDrugsDirect.com is a member of the Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) which imposes on its members the highest standards for quality control and customer service. The company also provides a no-questions-asked replacement policy should orders not arrive through no fault of the customer. A consumer protection plan through the Norton Shopping Guarantee is also provided free of charge. First-time customers receive a 25% discount on their first order up to $250 although some products are exempt from the offer. PlanetDrugsDirect.com has been serving satisfied American patients for over twenty years and has earned over 52,000 customer reviews.
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