I’m traveling to Toronto tomorrow and I’m looking to purchase Lantus and Novarapid pens. Anyone know what pharmacy to use and will I need to bring a script with me.
Bring script. I buy my supplies from this store. Contact them and ask that you be allowed to buy your supplies there.
https://www.diabetesexpress.ca/
Check out these prices:
https://omnipod.diabetesexpress.ca/collections/insulin
2 Likes
I think the prescription is only for getting the supplies back into the US. Any pharmacy in Toronto will have Lantus and Novarapid. No prescription needed for purchase in person in Canada, at least in Montreal. However, if you are planning on purchasing more than just a little bit of insulin, you should call ahead, they may not have the supplies on hand.
2 Likes
Shoppers Drug Mart is not a bad choice.
They are a big box drug store that generally is well stocked and many are open 24 hours.
You do not need a prescription to buy insulin or diabetes supplies but it does not hurt to have a scrpit on hand just to make the phamacist feel better. I have purchased insulin without a precription from many Canadian pharmacies over the years and have never had issues.
As a note, in Canada, the prefilled pens were not as commonly used as the pen cartridges used with reusable pens so they may not be stocked.
So either call ahead or be flexible or just go to Shoppers Drug mart who will likely have a good stock. Also, you can usually get the resuable pens for free from pharmacies (and in 1/2 unit dosing) so there is an option for you.
2 Likes
You certainly won’t have a problem finding a pharmacy in Toronto, they are literally on every corner and I think there are more of them than Tim Hortons or Starbucks. Our Hard Rock Cafe just became a giant Shoppers Drug Mart and a place I went for cheap beer in university is now a Rexall!
Ok - I live on the west coast and it seems like every second new business that opens is a phamacy 
Either there are a lot of methadone users out there or something…
Edit: and every 4 business that opens is a “medical dispensary” that sells only one type of drug. I keep thinking that there must be an epidemic of glaucoma or pain or nausea or whatever marijanua is suppoded to cure 
1 Like
I just got back from a week in Canada. If you live anywhere near the border it could be well worth the trip. I would be surprised if anyone could get a better price on Humalog Kwik Pen Mix that I got at Costco. It could be well worth the time to call Walmart or any other pharmacy in Canada.
I had purchased previously from the Canadian Insulin Connection mail order. That price was around a $100 a box of 5 pens. Price goes down a little with each additional box purchased. You do have a shipping cost about $35. I’m on Medicare. So I purchased across the border because I was approaching the coverage gap.
We were visiting Canada so I thought I would check around at their prices. I was in Costco so I thought that I would check there. She gave me a price of $62 a box. We left because I didn’t want to purchase until we were leaving for home. I wasn’t sure if I heard her right or whether we were talking about the same product because the price seemed to good.
I bought 10 boxes for about $620. That would be about $48 a box in US dollars. Last year when I got in the coverage gap I was paying over $400 a box at my home pharmacy. For me, that meant $500 to $600 a month during that period. No prescription was needed at Costco in Canada, but when I was crossing the border and declared them I was asked if I had a prescription.
I was fortunate to get that many boxes that fast. I would strongly suggest calling ahead 24 to 48 hours before you get to any pharmacy because they don’t always have a large supply on hand. If anyone has a question that I didn’t answer on my experience just sent me an email seniorbowler at hotmailcom
4 Likes