RE: Re: Has anyone tried getting Enbrel from Canadian pharmacies?

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Does anyone have an opinion on how hand therapy can or cannot help the arthritis in your hands?

-----Original Message-----From: oregonbeth [mailto:broot@...]Sent: Monday, September 22, 2003 10:34 PMRheumatoid Arthritis Subject: Re: Has anyone tried getting Enbrel from Canadian pharmacies?Janet,I would be really careful about trying to mail order Enbrel or other biologic agents from Canada, since it is essential that they be kept refrigerated during shipment. The US mail order pharmacies send them overnight delivery packaged in ice, but there are reports of Canadian pharmacies not being as careful. You don't want to pay for a supply and find out that it's ruined and unusable when you receive it.Prior to your COBRA insurance running out, you should start looking into other options. If the plan that you are on COBRA from was insured, then that company typically has to offer you conversion to an individual plan. If it was self-insured (meaning that the plan sponsor paid the actual claims, rather than purchasing a product from an insurance company), there's often (but not always) a state insurance pool that has to provide coverage to you. The key is to not have any lag time between when one policy ends and the other starts. It's never too early to start exploring your options. If for some reason you do end up without insurance, Enbrel (and other companies) have some plans to provide the product at free or reduced cost.Beth> Hi all, > I was wondering if anyone on this list has gotten Enbrel or any other > RA drugs from Canadian pharmacies. I heard on NPR that many people > from the US are going to Canada to get their medicines because they > are so much cheaper there. I am trying to figure out what I will do > when my COBRA in insurance runs out in March. Thanks Janet