Wichita business to offer avenue to Canada drugs

American Drug Club promises prescription savings of up to 80%

? There’s a new storefront opening in Wichita to help consumers get their prescription drugs from Canada for less money.

The American Drug Club is a Canadian prescription service center opening Wednesday. It joins Canada Drug in offering Wichitans a way to get their prescriptions filled in Canada.

American Drug Club says it will offer savings of up to 80 percent on common prescriptions for chronic conditions.

Cuong Truong, customer service manager for the new store, said American Drug Club expected to attract customers who had been unable to take their prescription drugs properly because they could not afford them.

Truong said he became interested in opening a store after his 61-year-old mother had difficulty paying for the medicine she needed to treat her high blood pressure and turned to a Canadian pharmacy.

While importing drugs from Canada remains technically illegal, authorities have not pursued charges against individuals ordering from Canada or against companies helping them.

Several lawmakers are pursuing legislation that would make re-importation legal.

Reps. Jerry Moran and Dennis Moore of Kansas are among the 53 members of the U.S. House of Representatives who supported a bill last summer to make importation of drugs from Canada and other countries legal.

Canada Drug has numerous storefronts in Florida and in several other U.S. cities as well as Wichita. American Drug Club has stores in Texas, Michigan, Ohio, California and Florida.

American Drug Club does not stock any medications and does not receive payments from customers or keep patient medical records information.

The companies make their money through commissions paid by Canadian pharmacies on each prescription filled. There are no membership fees or any other charges paid by consumers to the club.

The storefronts provide consumers with price information on their medications and help in filling out mail order forms. They provide a fax machine for consumers to fax their orders to a licensed Canadian pharmacy.

Drugs are shipped directly from the Canadian pharmacy to the customer’s home address. Drugs arrive still sealed in the manufacturer’s packaging.

Shipping costs of $11.25 per package are being waived by American Drug Club for new orders placed through April.