If you are a senior on a fixed income, you already know that prescription drug costs can take a serious bite out of your budget. For many of us, the choice between paying for medication and paying for food or rent is not hypothetical — it is real. I want to share something that has saved me over a thousand dollars a year and may do the same for you.
My Personal Experience
I take Apixaban — the generic version of Eliquis — a blood thinner prescribed by my cardiologist to prevent dangerous blood clots. In the United States, the retail price for a one-month supply of Eliquis without insurance is over $800, and even with Medicare Part D, monthly copays typically range between $44 and $54 depending on your diagnosis and plan.
When I was purchasing it through Medicare, I paid $57 a month for the first three months — then the price jumped to $145 a month for the remaining nine months of the year. That added up to $1,476 a year for one medication.
Then I discovered Canadian pharmacies. Today I order 2 boxes of 336 Apixaban tablets — nearly a 6-month supply — for just $117, shipped directly to my door from England. That works out to approximately $21 a month. My annual cost is now around $234 a year, saving me over $1,200 every year compared to what I was paying through Medicare.
Here is how it works:
- My cardiologist writes me a prescription.
- I upload it online to the Canadian pharmacy’s website.
- My medication arrives by mail.
It has worked perfectly and reliably for years.
Why Does My Canadian Pharmacy Ship from England?
This surprised me at first, but it makes complete sense once you understand how the pharmaceutical supply chain works. Generic versions of Apixaban are produced by different companies globally, including manufacturing facilities across Europe such as Ireland, Switzerland, and Spain. My Canadian pharmacy simply sources from one of those international manufacturers and ships directly from England. The medication meets rigorous safety standards — it just doesn’t come from the US.
Why Is Medication So Much Cheaper in Canada?
The answer comes down to government regulation. In Canada, the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) reviews pharmaceutical prices and orders patent holders to lower costs if they are too high. The United States has no equivalent price control system, which is why the same medication can cost a fraction of the price just across the border.
The Patent Story — and Why Generic Eliquis Isn’t Available in the US
This is the part of the story that I find truly outrageous — and every senior paying high drug prices needs to know it.
The FDA actually approved generic versions of Eliquis all the way back in 2019. Americans should have been able to buy affordable generic Apixaban for years. But they can’t — and here is why.
Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer, the makers of brand-name Eliquis, used patent term extensions and follow-on patents to prevent low-cost generic versions from entering the US market. The patent was set to expire in 2026 — but the pharmaceutical companies went to court and got the date pushed back. Court rulings have now delayed generic competition in the US until at least April 1, 2028.
Patent extension is a common tactic — according to one study, more than 70% of best-selling drugs had their patent protection extended at least once. Meanwhile, the drug companies continue collecting billions. US patients often pay up to eight times more for identical medications compared to other wealthy nations, in part because other countries engage in more robust pharmaceutical price negotiations that cover all patients.
In other world, the rest of the world — including Canada, England, and most of Europe — has access to affordable generic Apixaban. Americans are left paying brand-name prices because of a court-approved patent extension that benefits one thing above all else: pharmaceutical company profits.
Is Ordering from Canada Legal?
This is the question everyone asks, and it deserves an honest answer. Buying prescription drugs from Canada as an individual American is technically a federal misdemeanor, but the FDA rarely enforces it for personal quantities under a 90-day supply. In practice, millions of Americans order their medications from Canada every year without issue.
There is also encouraging news on the legal front. State-level Section 804 Importation Programs provide a fully legal wholesale channel, and Florida became the first state to receive FDA authorization in January 2024. More states are working toward similar programs. The key is this: always use a legitimate, verified Canadian pharmacy.
How to Find a Safe Canadian Pharmacy
The most important thing to look for is certification from the Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) — the gold standard for verifying legitimate Canadian pharmacies.
A legitimate CIPA member pharmacy must adhere to strict safety rules:
- Require valid and signed prescriptions.
- Maintain a health profile with medication history to avoid adverse drug interactions.
- Have a licensed pharmacist on staff for patient consultation.
- Follow the same stringent confidentiality and safety procedures as US pharmacies.
A legitimate site must display the CIPA seal, and that seal must be clickable, leading directly to the CIPA verification page. If a site offers to sell you medication without a valid prescription from your doctor, leave immediately. You can verify any Canadian pharmacy directly at cipa.com before placing an order.
A Note About 2026 Medicare Changes
If you currently have Medicare Part D coverage, there is some good news worth knowing. Beginning in 2026, your maximum out-of-pocket costs for all your Medicare Part D prescriptions will be capped at $2,100 per year — and once you reach that cap, your medications will cost you nothing for the rest of the year. This is a meaningful improvement — but as my own experience shows, a legitimate Canadian pharmacy can still offer dramatic savings that Medicare simply cannot match.
The Bottom Line
No senior should have to choose between their medication and their basic needs. I have been ordering my Apixaban from a verified Canadian pharmacy for years — it arrives safely, it works exactly as prescribed, and it saves me over $1,200 a year. If you are paying high prices for a brand-name medication, it is absolutely worth exploring whether a Canadian pharmacy can help.
Just remember: get a valid prescription from your doctor, use only CIPA-certified pharmacies, and always order within personal-use quantity guidelines. Do your homework — and then enjoy the savings.