Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

'Dollars and Deals'

Aired August 22, 2003 - 06:50   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for Dollars and Deals. Looking for a deal on prescription drugs? Well, our consumer guru Clark Howard says you can save a bundle if you know where to look on the Internet.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARK HOWARD, CONSUMER ADVOCATE: This morning's question is from Ruth in Boca Raton, Florida. And, Ruth, you tell me you're a senior citizen who has to buy a lot of prescription drugs and you've been told you can get them cheaper in Canada. Is this true? Are they safe?

First, it is true that people are buying huge numbers of prescription medicines from north of the border in Canada. Are they safe? I have never, ever, ever heard anybody at any time who said there was any problem with the purity of any prescription ever ordered from Canada.

Now, buying prescription medicines from Canada is a little tricky. The federal government kind of looks the other way on you ordering medicines from across the border and you are generally allowed to import a 90 day supply of prescription medicines at a time.

How much are you going to save? If it's a brand name medicine, the typical savings will be 50 percent. It could be as little as 30 percent, as much as 70, but usually about half price.

Generic medicines, you may even pay more buying them from Canada.

How do you do this? On the Internet. There are hundreds and hundreds of Canadian pharmacies that will fill your prescriptions when you become a customer on the Internet. You then fax your prescription across the border and then in a few weeks you've got your medicines.

This only works for maintenance medications, those that you're taking over time. You go to the doctor, you're supposed to start a medicine immediately, not going to work, because it does take a few weeks for your prescription to be filled.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Clark Howard.

Clark will be back next Friday with more Dollars and Deals.

You can e-mail us your consumer questions. Just visit our Web site, cnn.com/daybreak.

In the meantime, you can get Clark's money saving tips on the Web. The address, clarkhoward.com.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired August 22, 2003 - 06:50   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for Dollars and Deals. Looking for a deal on prescription drugs? Well, our consumer guru Clark Howard says you can save a bundle if you know where to look on the Internet.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARK HOWARD, CONSUMER ADVOCATE: This morning's question is from Ruth in Boca Raton, Florida. And, Ruth, you tell me you're a senior citizen who has to buy a lot of prescription drugs and you've been told you can get them cheaper in Canada. Is this true? Are they safe?

First, it is true that people are buying huge numbers of prescription medicines from north of the border in Canada. Are they safe? I have never, ever, ever heard anybody at any time who said there was any problem with the purity of any prescription ever ordered from Canada.

Now, buying prescription medicines from Canada is a little tricky. The federal government kind of looks the other way on you ordering medicines from across the border and you are generally allowed to import a 90 day supply of prescription medicines at a time.

How much are you going to save? If it's a brand name medicine, the typical savings will be 50 percent. It could be as little as 30 percent, as much as 70, but usually about half price.

Generic medicines, you may even pay more buying them from Canada.

How do you do this? On the Internet. There are hundreds and hundreds of Canadian pharmacies that will fill your prescriptions when you become a customer on the Internet. You then fax your prescription across the border and then in a few weeks you've got your medicines.

This only works for maintenance medications, those that you're taking over time. You go to the doctor, you're supposed to start a medicine immediately, not going to work, because it does take a few weeks for your prescription to be filled.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Clark Howard.

Clark will be back next Friday with more Dollars and Deals.

You can e-mail us your consumer questions. Just visit our Web site, cnn.com/daybreak.

In the meantime, you can get Clark's money saving tips on the Web. The address, clarkhoward.com.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com