SPOKANE, Wash. — People who buy prescriptions from Canada because it’s cheaper will soon have to pay a lot more.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is tightening its restrictions on foreign-mailed medications. These restrictions go into effect on October 22.
Certain shipments valued over $100 will have to be declared before people will be allowed to import them. Previously, products under $800 could be shipped and imported and inspection was left to a customs officer.
It is illegal in most cases to import foreign medications since they are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, but people have found ways around it.
Teresa Lowe gets a three-month supply of medication for $128, which includes shipping and a tariff fee. Not only is it cheaper for her, but she says the Canadian medication works better for her hypothyroidism symptoms because they’re non-synthetic.
“It’s just crazy to spend that much on medications. The reason that I got started going to Canada is the medication I was on and have been on for 60 years got superseded by the synthetic,” Lowe said.
Lowe says she thinks the cost of her medication could go up about $200 per month.
“It used to be $9 a month and when they took away the insurance coverage, they jacked it up to $400 a month,” she explained.
Under the new rule, the CBP and FDA will block prescription shipments from licensed international pharmacies if the medication is commercially available in the U.S. and even if it’s legal in the country it’s coming from and prescribed by a physician.
“It’s never fun for it to have your expenses go up by hundreds of dollars a month, especially for a lot of people though, the food going up and all that,” Lowe said.
She says Canadian pharmacies are notifying people to put their prescription orders in by this Friday so they can be processed and shipped before the new restrictions begin.
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