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jslazar
Contributor ⭐
September 9, 2026

Blocking of prescription drugs to U.S from Canadian pharmacies

I learned today that the US government is prohibiting prescription drugs from Canadian pharmacies from entering the US, effective on October 22. The medication I wanted to fill is not covered by my medicare drug plan and my out of pocket cost is $600/mo in US pharmacies. The same name-brand drug costs $100/mo from Canada. Has anyone else run into this?

7 replies

jerrynmn1
Contributor ⭐⭐
September 20, 2026

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has enacted a new policy governing international mail shipments, with key requirements scheduled to take effect on October 22, 2026. We have just learned that, under the planned implementation by CBP and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), virtually all prescription-medication parcels will be prohibited from entering the United States beginning on that date.

What’s Changing

Entry will be prohibited if the medication being imported is commercially available in the United States — even when it costs significantly more — or if the supplying company specifically markets to Americans.

These restrictions will apply to pharmaceutical parcels sent by pharmacies anywhere outside the United States. Taken together, they are expected to effectively close the personal-importation pathway that millions of Americans have relied upon for more than 25 years to obtain safe and affordable medications.

TRL1111
Community Champion ⭐
September 20, 2026

As I said before, the rule that site links to suspends the de minimis exemption.  There’s nothing about a ban.  It says, “We have learned that” but doesn’t say where they learned it.  

jslazarAuthor
Contributor ⭐
September 9, 2026

This was announced yesterday. It’s an outright ban on lots of Canadian products. 

TRL1111
Community Champion ⭐
September 10, 2026

Do you have a source for prescription medicines being banned outright?

The ban that was announced yesterday is on some dairy products, alcoholic beverages (and nonalcoholic beer), molasses, and motorcycles.  And it starts in three weeks, which is not October 22.

Plus the pharmacy’s website clearly isn’t talking about anything that happened yesterday, and as I noted before, it cites the rule suspending the de minimis exemption--nothing about a ban.  And enforcement of that rule does take effect October 22.

    TRL1111
    Community Champion ⭐
    September 9, 2026

    I learned today

     

    Where did you learn this?  

    jslazarAuthor
    Contributor ⭐
    September 9, 2026

    The Canadian Pharmacy’s website. I wasn’t able to find anything about it on AARP. It seems important enough to get their attention. 

    TRL1111
    Community Champion ⭐
    September 9, 2026

    The website links to a federal rule by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.  Here’s the official summary:  “This document amends the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations to implement an indefinite suspension of the de minimis administrative exemption for imports valued at $800 or less arriving through the international postal network. This document also establishes a new postal informal entry process for certain merchandise entering the United States through the mail environment.”

    federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/24/2026-12669/indefinite-suspension-of-the-de-minimis-exemption-for-mail-shipments-and-new-postal-informal-entry

    I don’t see anything in there about prohibiting prescription drugs from Canada from being mailed to the U.S. 

     

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