Pharmacists can legally mail medication to the U.S., but expert questions ethical obligations
Mar 29, 2023
Thousands of people in the United States have been getting their Ozempic this year from pharmacies in British Columbia, prompting the province to announce a restriction on sales to avoid a local shortage of the diabetes medication.
At a news conference Tuesday, Health Minister Adrian Dix detailed the results of an internal ministry investigation into the cross-border issue, saying that nearly one in five Ozempic prescriptions in B.C. went to American residents in the first two months of the year.
The vast majority of those prescriptions were issued in Nova Scotia and fulfilled by two Metro Vancouver pharmacies, the investigation found.
Here’s how buyers from the U.S. are turning to pharmacies north of the border — and why.