U.S. prescription drug prices stay far above Canadian pharmacy costs, CPPI study finds

A new Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation study says Americans can save an average of 65% by buying 10 common brand-name drugs from licensed Canadian pharmacies instead of U.S. pharmacies. The findings come as national concern over prescription affordability remains near record highs.

Why it matters: - Prescription drug affordability remains a broad pressure point for U.S. consumers. - CPPI says the gap between U.S. prices and licensed Canadian pharmacy prices continues to widen for several commonly prescribed brand-name drugs. - The price spread affects patients with chronic conditions who need ongoing 90-day supplies. - The study suggests some consumers could reduce out-of-pocket costs by buying from Canada for personal use.

What happened: - The Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation released its August 2026 Benchmark Prescription Drug Price Study. - The study compared 10 commonly prescribed brand-name medications sold by U.S. pharmacies and licensed Canadian pharmacies. - CPPI said consumers buying any of the 10 drugs from licensed Canadian pharmacies saved an average of 65% versus the average of GoodRx and Amazon Pharmacy prices in the U.S. - The comparison used 90-day supplies and focused on drugs used to treat Type 2 diabetes, blood clots, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, overactive bladder, fungal infections and hormone replacement therapy.

The details: - Rybelsus 7 mg showed one of the biggest price jumps. - GoodRx pricing for a 90-day supply of Rybelsus rose to $3,042 in August from $2,904 in March. - Amazon Pharmacy pricing for Rybelsus stayed above $3,000. - CPPI said Canadian pricing for Rybelsus stayed stable, pushing savings to 74% from 60% in five months. - Xifaxan 550 mg remained among the most expensive drugs in the study. - Amazon Pharmacy pricing for a 90-day supply of Xifaxan rose to $12,346.05 in August from $11,233.90 in March. - CPPI said Canadian pricing for Xifaxan was unchanged, lifting savings to 79% from 78%. - Jublia, Xarelto and several other benchmark drugs also saw higher U.S. prices over the five-month period. - CPPI said Canadian pharmacy prices across the study stayed largely unchanged. - The August 2026 study also included Myrbetriq, Jardiance, Farxiga, Trintellix, Premarin and Eliquis. - The full comparison chart is available here. - CPPI directs readers to more information on safe importation and free membership information at the same site.

Between the lines: - KFF data cited in the release show 59% of U.S. adults worry about affording prescription drugs, the highest level since the survey began in 2018. - KFF also found 43% of adults used at least one cost-saving strategy because of drug costs, including delaying prescriptions, skipping fills, substituting over-the-counter medications or cutting pills. - The study’s message is less about one product category and more about a persistent cross-border pricing gap. - CPPI frames the issue as a public health problem when patients delay or abandon treatment because of cost.

What's next: - CPPI is continuing to promote personal prescription importation as a lower-cost option for eligible consumers. - The group says additional price changes will likely keep affecting the savings available to U.S. patients. - The organization points consumers to its website for safe-importation information and advocacy updates.

The bottom line: - For 10 common brand-name drugs, CPPI says Canadian pharmacy prices were far lower than U.S. prices, with average savings holding at 65% and some individual drugs producing even larger discounts.