Omaha store sells drugs from Canada

Most people have heard it’s cheaper to buy drugs in Canada than the U.S., but now Council Bluffs-area residents can shop at a Canadian drug store, of sorts, without going to Canada. Laurie Wahl is manager of Canada Drugs, located in Omaha. Wahl says customers are receptive to the service — and the savings. She says most customers save a fourth or a third on average, though some save more. The store is the first of its kind in Iowa and Nebraska. Wahl says -no- drugs are kept on site, but they’re ordered via fax straight from Canada. She explains how the process works for new customers. Wahl says customers have to fill out a basic questionnaire and provide a doctor’s prescription, then the drugs are shipped from a licensed pharmacy in Winnepeg, Canada. She says people don’t need to be concerned about the medications being of lesser quality as they’re not any different from the drugs sold in the U.S., other than the price. Wahl says the pharmacy in Winnepeg buys from the exact same pharmaceutical companies. The Food and Drug Administration says what the store is doing is illegal and the Nebraska Pharmacists Association is starting a campaign to get the store closed down. Wahl says the legal authorities haven’t slowed them down at all. She says an inspector came out the first week they were open, and says that’s the last they’ve heard. While the Omaha store opened in April, Wahl says Canada Drugs has been in business for over 35 years and is a safe way to save money.