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Americans flock to Canada to buy EpiPens cheap

Posted at 11:48 PM, Aug 29, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-30 08:12:58-04

The rising cost of EpiPens in the United States has those who need the life-saving medication searching for alternatives.

7 Eyewitness News has learned that EpiPens across the border in Canada are significantly cheaper.  One EpiPen in Canada costs $96.02 USD. EpiPens in the states are upwards of $700.00.

"I've received a few calls where people are asking me the prices," said Jeff Hurst, a Pharmacy Technician at Brodies Drug Store in Ridgeway, Ontario. 

It's the significant price decrease that pharmacy technicians like Hurst say is bringing more Americans across the border.

"The difference is our regulations and our legalities are different," Hurst said. "Our government is keeping the price low and affordable for people," he said.

In Canada, you don't need a prescription to buy an EpiPen. Hurst says there's no difference between the Canadian and American EpiPen.

Customs and Border Protection says anyone who has purchased a personal quantity of EpiPens outside the U.S. may travel across the border into the U.S. with them.

For those who can't make it across the border, this websiteallows you to purchase an EpiPen online.