Legal Info


Although most of the medications worldwide are manufactured and marketed by the same multinational companies that manufacture and market them in the USA, Canada, Europe, Japan etc., the cost of the same medication can vary widely between different countries due to a number of reasons including government and regulatory policies, manufacturing, marketing and dispensing costs.

In the past thousands of US citizens traveled to Mexico, Canada or other countries each week to legally purchase medication for personal use, at a fraction of the cost in the USA. Now more and more individuals are using the reach and power of the internet to order prescription drugs online from international pharmacies at prices that are significantly lower than those in their own country.

The FDA's current Mail and Personal Use Import Policy lets patients import a 90 days supply of both FDA and non-FDA approved prescription drugs into the US as long as the drugs are not for commercial use i.e. resale. And the patient certifies that he or she is being prescribed the same medication by a licensed doctor in the United States. Hence during the ordering process you will be given the opportunity (optional) to complete a Personal Declaration confirming that the medicine you have ordered is for your personal use and that you are taking it under the supervision of a doctor. It will be packed with your order and should ensure that the shipment is not delayed in the event of a random customs inspection at your country's border.

Most countries around the world do have regulations that allow its citizens to import prescription medicine for "personal use". This is usually determined by the quantity (typically a supply for no more than 3 months normal use is allowed). Without such a provision all prescription drugs would need to be declared and duty applied when individuals travelled internationally, and this would be an administrative nightmare.

When the prescription medication is imported into the USA by mail, US Customs has two options: either allow it to enter or refuse entry. No less than 250,000 pieces of foreign mail including envelopes and small parcels arrive daily at every USA international port of entry. Due to limited resources it is physically impossible to inspect any more than 5% to 10% of the total foreign mail; thus over 90% of medications mailed into the USA pass through US Customs uninspected but legally. The FDA readily admits that because of the huge volume of imports from international pharmacies, it is beyond their ability to process them.

But what if your shipment is inspected? In most cases, if it is a drug approved by the FDA for use in the US, and has a prescription for the medication from a US licensed physician, it will be allowed entry. In the worst case scenario of detention or seizure, you will receive a seizure notice in the mail from US Customs informing you that your medication has been seized and about your right to contest the seizure by providing reasons why the drug parcel be allowed entry, or give up this right to contest the seizure.

Your order through SunDrugstore.com is totally! If your order is seized; do not contest the seizure, send us the seizure notice and we will replace the seized medications for free, i.e. we will mail it a second time. This applies if you have a prescription for the medication from a licensed physician in the country where you live.

There are no legal repercussions for this kind of import. If your order is seized and you give up your right to contest the seizure, that is the end of it. It is not illegal. A seized shipment simply means it was refused entry, that is all.

Canada has recently passed new import laws similar to that in the United States. Authorities in Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Holland, Switzerland and other countries in Europe are tolerant of this practice as long as the quantities imported are small and clearly for personal use.

If you live outside of these countries, it will be wise to research the local policies regarding import of medicines. Generally SunDrugstore.comwill guarantee delivery if the drug has been approved for use in your country, and if a prescription is required, you have one.

In a world where the cost of the same prescription medicine can vary enormously from country to country, there is increasing pressure being placed on politicians by consumers to pass laws which will allow them to purchase a prescription drug online. Consumers see no reason why they should be paying so much more for the same drug than citizens of other countries. Take for example the USA. It is the most expensive pharmaceutical market in the world burdened further with 70 million citizens with little or no prescription drug coverage. Acutely aware of the international differences in drug prices and under pressure to make lower priced drugs more readily available to their many needy constituents, Congress Representatives and Senators have introduced bills that will allow US citizens to legally purchase prescription drugs from international online pharmacies.

In the US, high price of drugs has resulted in explosive growth in the use of foreign pharmacies. A recent report by Forrester Research estimated that purchases through online pharmacies will swell to US$15 billion by 2004 and that online internet ordering of prescription drugs will grow to 25% of the US pharmaceutical market over the next 3 years.

SunDrugstore.comprices are the lowest of any online pharmacy worldwide. We put you in control of your medication costs. You can order your requirements from SunDrugstore.comwith the confidence and assurance that you will receive the same medications that you are using now, delivered to your doorstep, at a fraction of the price you have been paying.