I'm not talking about shady outfits. The pharmacy I deal with is completely visible and transparent. Canada has several regulatory organizations that certify Canadian online pharmacies.
Yes, personal importation of prescription medications is technically illegal, but despite the law, the FDA has a long-standing "Personal Importation Policy." This policy allows the agency to exercise discretion and not take enforcement action against individuals importing small quantities of medication under specific conditions. This is not a law that makes it legal, but rather a policy of looking the other way for personal use.
I don't know, but I wonder if the folks in Salem got in trouble because they were 'importing with intent to distribute'? That's never a good idea, and it's a lot different than offering a referral service from the US side or ordering small quantities of a medication for personal use internationally from a reputable pharmacy. The money laundering part wasn't a great idea, either.
Both of my parents, now deceased, ordered meds from Canada 25-30 years ago - the referral service was called Canada Drug Service (CDS). They seemed to have branches everywhere, many times advertising in local small town newspapers throughout the mid-west.
But a good place to start getting a feel for this service is the website of the Canadian International Pharmacy Association. I'm not going to make any recommendations, but searching for CIPA-certified businesses is a good place to start. I researched for the better part of a year before I decided to do this.
Here's a link to a good article -- I'll include a few excerpts.
CIPA Celebrates 20 Years Online
The Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) recently achieved a major milestone: We celebrated our 20-year anniversary, serving millions of customers around the world who otherwise would not afford, access or trust ordering their daily maintenance medications where they live. Founded in 2002 by a group of Canadian pharmacists who recognized the potential of the Internet to provide safe and affordable access to medications, CIPA has grown to become the world's foremost online pharmacy association. CIPA maintains a comprehensive set of Standards of Practice that all member pharmacies must adhere to. These Standards cover a wide range of areas, including patient safety, medication quality, and financial transparency to address the needs of the patients we are committed to serve from licensed pharmacies.
-----
In the world of internet governance, CIPA is a long-term member of the ICANN Business Constituency, the Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2C), and Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network, where we join with the world's greater business and technical communities in the commitment to promoting a safe and trusted internet.
-----
Our participation over the years at RightsCon and the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) has been productive in sharing and broadening understanding of the growing demand for ordering prescription maintenance medications from online pharmacies. We have collaborated with academics, activists, internet policy experts, NGOs and human rights advocates in the creation of the Brussels Principles on the Sale of Medicines over the Internet, which sets out a framework for the creation of transnational pharmacy access protocols.
-----
CIPA looks forward to continuing its collaboration toward a compassionate, trans-national approach that provides online access to safe and affordable medications for those in need.
= new reply since forum marked as read