How to Escape from High-Cost Prescription Drugs

There’s an old wisecrack that just about the most expensive thing you can do in America is to get sick. But for millions of people, that’s no laughing matter. Consumers in the United States have to cope with extremely high-cost prescription drugs and supply-chain issues that routinely lead to critical shortages. Getting access to essential medications can feel like running an endless relay race with hurdles at every turn. If you’ve ever picked up a pharmacy bill and thought it might be cheaper to book a luxury vacation instead, you’re not alone.

This crisis, characterized by ever-spiraling prices of already high-cost prescription drugs and an increasing number of shortages, has been brewing for decades. And despite the promises from politicians across all parties, the situation hasn’t meaningfully improved. If anything, it’s getting worse. In fact, the cost of medication is increasing faster than the rate of inflation, which means that drug prices have been rising faster than wages and household income, making them less and less affordable.

So, what’s going on? Why are Americans faced with the burden of high-cost prescription drugs that no other country has to bear? And, more importantly, what can you do about it? Based on my experience of more than 30 years as a pharmacist, I’ll try to give the view from the outside.

There should be no doubt that this is a very complex and emotional issue. There’s probably no other single problem in which so many stakeholders have a significant interest. Of course, every individual is affected by such high-cost prescription drugs, and this raises the political stakes. Almost every election cycle rolls out a batch of promises to address and fix this, but it then drives into the brick wall of competing interests and pressures.

A few basic facts about prices

Prescription drug prices in the U.S. are often between two and ten times higher than in other advanced countries. This is not a new phenomenon. It’s been an ongoing issue for decades under both Democratic and Republican administrations. But why? The most frequently stated reasons are:

• Unlike in other high-income countries, the U.S. allows pharmaceutical companies to set their own prices, leading to exorbitant costs. The basic reason for this is that Congress in 2003 passed the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA), which explicitly forbade the federal government from directly negotiating prices with pharmaceutical companies. 
• The system creates many incentives for high-cost prescription drugs because manufacturers are not the only players benefiting from high drug costs. Anyone involved in the pharmaceutical billing cycle can pocket extra revenue when the price of the drugs is higher than necessary. For example, in the process known as physician-administered drugs, a doctor typically pays for the drugs that are infused or injected in-house for procedures like chemotherapy. “Physician-administered drugs are not required to meet the actual acquisition cost and professional dispensing fee requirements placed on states for outpatient drugs dispensed at a pharmacy.” This creates an incentive for a doctor to choose a more expensive drug as long as it is approved for the condition being treated. The same goes for insurers, who are mostly reimbursed on a cost-plus-percentage basis when negotiating Plan D coverage with state governments. If they are buying a drug for $10 and earn 10%, they can pocket just $1. If they instead pay $50 for an equivalent, they earn five times as much for no extra risk or effort. For the manufacturer and the insurer, high-cost prescription drugs are a win-win situation, but the consumer is the one that’s bearing the ultimate cost.
• Drug manufacturers have total control over the prescription drug prices of new medications during the years when the drug is patent-protected after first approval. This is typically granted for around 6-7 years. In many cases, they have been able to extend their protection against competition through patent abuse and “evergreening.” The companies extend their exclusivity by making minor modifications to the drugs, which delays the approval of generic versions.
• There are tens of thousands of insurance companies who individually negotiate the drug prices they pay for the range in their formulary, which determines the price paid by consumers. They have very little collective bargaining power to when it comes to negotiating the prices they will pay. The drug companies have the upper hand in setting their drug prices against a fragmented and uncoordinated pool of customers.
• Even when insurance companies pool their buying, there are too many instances where Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) use their buying power to negotiate discounts from manufacturers but pocket the savings for the company instead of passing them on to consumers. As well, PBMs make more money if they steer customers toward high-cost prescription drugs. This can lead to them requiring patients to take more expensive drugs even though a cheaper alternative is available.

There has been much about this in the news lately following an interim report by the Federal Trade Commission in January 2025, which found that “the three major pharmacy benefit managers hiked costs for a wide range of lifesaving drugs, including medications to treat heart disease and cancer.” They also were found to be generating additional income via spread pricing, which means they are billing their clients more than they reimburse pharmacies for prescription drug prices.

How does it work in other countries?

Most advanced Western countries have a form of universal government-funded healthcare that is applicable to all citizens. This includes medical and hospital services and medication. Countries like members of the EU, Canada, the UK, Israel, and Australia have a small number of government-approved healthcare insurance conglomerates, and they collectively dictate what prices they are prepared to pay. Drug companies will comply for fear of losing out on the market. This means that all of the power is in the hands of the government when it comes to negotiating prices with drug suppliers, which leads to affordable medications for everyone.

Also, the retail price that customers have to pay is set by the central authority, which eliminates individual price gouging. 

Basic facts about drug shortages

The drug shortage epidemic has been building up in severity for decades but reached a peak in the years of Covid-19 due to the disruptions of manufacturers’ supply chains that the pandemic caused. 

The FDA considers there is a drug shortage when supply is not meeting current demand or if supply is not forecasted to meet projected demand. 

Lately, more than half of the record-high drug shortages in the U.S. involve drugs that are essential for hospitals, cancer treatments, and emergency care. In such cases, doctors have simply not been able to get their hands on vital medications on which their patients’ health, and sometimes their lives, depend.

The main causes are:

• Production delays at the manufacturer caused by quality control issues or delays companies have experienced receiving raw materials and components from suppliers.
• Sudden or unexpected increases in demand. This was the main reason for the global shortages of the revolutionary new diabetes medications (Ozempic and Mounjaro), which turned out to be in extremely high demand for weight loss, for which production capacity hadn’t been planned.
• Because of discontinuations by companies in favor of newer, more profitable drugs.
• Due to the disincentive to manufacture low-profit margin generics. Many manufacturers stop producing essential drugs due to low profitability.
• Because there has been a large number of mergers and acquisitions in the industry, leading to over-consolidation of suppliers. It results in a small number of manufacturers controlling critical drugs, making shortages more likely.
• Regulatory inefficiency of the FDA itself. Even when foreign alternatives exist, FDA regulations slow down their approval.

Buying medications from trusted international pharmacies

If you’re tired of playing the insurance game, waiting for backordered medications, or paying exorbitant prices, there is a workaround: buy your prescriptions from licensed international pharmacies that provide online prescription delivery services like IsraelPharm.

How do foreign pharmacies match up compared to US pharmacies?

Medications in Israel and other regulated markets such as the UK, the EU, Canada, and Australia have to meet the same safety standards as US drugs. Each one of those countries has a central regulatory authority that sets the guidelines and checks that medications sold inside their pharmacies meet the required standards. Many of them achieve the required levels by direct sourcing from the original manufacturer’s own distributors, which ensures quality and authenticity. Often, these pharmacies have direct access to manufacturing plants that are either owned or licensed by the patent holder for the drug, in which case buying from an overseas pharmacy means you are getting exactly the same product as if you were getting it from a pharmacy in the US.

The pharmaceutical mess in the US isn’t going to fix itself anytime soon. High prices and supply-chain issues have been the norm for decades, and neither Congress nor the FDA seems particularly inclined to overhaul the system.

But that doesn’t mean you have to sit back and accept it.

More and more Americans are cutting their medication costs in half by taking advantage of trusted international pharmacies like IsraelPharm. It’s a safe, legal, and proven way to access the same high-quality medications without breaking the bank.

If you’re tired of fighting with insurance companies, waiting for backordered prescriptions, or paying obscene prices, now might be the time to take matters into your own hands.

Because the only thing worse than an overpriced drug? Not being able to get it at all.

How to choose a safe and reliable overseas pharmacy

The rise of online prescription services has made it easier than ever to access the medications you need, but not all online pharmacies are created equal. When purchasing medications online, it’s essential to make sure you’re using a trusted online pharmacy to avoid counterfeit drugs, fraudulent websites, and legal complications.

Identifying a Reliable Online Pharmacy

When selecting an online pharmacy, look for these key indicators of legitimacy:

• The pharmacy requires a doctor’s prescription for registered medications.
• It provides access to a licensed pharmacist for advice and consultations.
• It is accredited by a recognized regulatory authority.
• It has transparent pricing and customer service policies.
• Operates on a fully secure website (via an SSL-secured https: internet address)
• Offers verified testimonials from actual users
• Is honest about where it is located, not hiding behind a postbox address and hosted web platforms that disguise the country of origin.

Tips for buying medicine safely online

To ensure a safe and easy prescription experience, follow these guidelines:

Can you verify their legitimacy

Check for proper licensing and customer reviews before making a purchase.

Are they promising ‘Too good to be true’ deals

Extremely low prescription drug prices can sometimes indicate counterfeit or substandard drugs.

Can you consult with a pharmacist

If you have questions about a medication, be sure you can reach out to a licensed pharmacist for advice.

Check that you will be paying via secure channels

Use online pharmacies that provide encrypted payment options for security.

Know the laws

Make sure that importing your medication is legally permitted in your area. Some drugs can’t be imported without a license or permit even though they are available from local pharmacies. This relates mainly to controlled substances, such as narcotics, psychotropics, and their precursors. 

Why IsraelPharm is a natural choice

IsraelPharm stands out as a trusted online pharmacy that makes it very simple for customers to buy high-cost prescription drugs at far lower prices safely from the comfort of their homes. We have been doing this for nearly 18 years and have over 46,000 satisfied customers worldwide, many of them coming back to us over and over since they know they are getting what they need, when they need it, and at the best possible price.

Here’s why IsraelPharm is the best option for a stress-free and easy prescription experience:

Legitimacy and safety

Israelpharm connects to licensed pharmacies and provides online service for international customers. This ensures that all our medications have to meet the strictest safety and quality standards. Our operation is under the direct supervision of The Israeli Ministry of Health and licensed pharmacists who are fully aware of the regulations and protocols that apply to selling medications in the US. This means you can use our services with the same degree of confidence that you have in your neighborhood druggist. We will not sell any registered medication without a valid and current prescription from a licensed and registered healthcare provider. 

Everything we sell has met the strict controls that apply to pharmacies in Israel. Multiple government bodies are responsible for maintaining drug standards and ensuring compliance with all regulations.

Wide selection of prescription and over-the-counter meds

Customers can access a full range of prescription and over-the-counter medicines from us. The basket of drugs made available to Israeli citizens closely matches the spectrum of both the US and the EU and is updated at least twice each year to take into account both new drug releases and patterns of demand.

In fact, it’s often possible to get newer drugs from us than from US pharmacies, thanks to the more responsive determination of the drug basket. 

Affordable pricing

IsraelPharm offers far lower prices on all popular medications, including low-cost generic medications than you will get from US-based retailers. In many cases, we can sell the branded form of a drug for less than the US retail price of its generic. This can solve the problem when doctors are prescribing branded drugs because of patient familiarity and confidence, but insurance companies will only reimburse the generic’s price. 

The table below gives a few examples of how you can save substantially on the prescription drug price of both the branded version and its generic when buying from us.

Convenient ordering process

Ordering is hassle-free with just four simple steps.

1. Enter the name of the drug you need or the condition you are looking to treat in our search bar.
2. Select the quantity and strength and add it to your cart. You can order as many different meds as you need
3. Proceed to the private and secure checkout, where you can pay with a credit card.
4. If the medication requires a prescription, send a copy to us via email or fax.

Experienced customer support

Licensed pharmacists are always here to answer your personal medical questions. Ask a question on our chat line, on the phone, or via email, and you will receive a personal response from our pharmacy support staff. All communications and transaction information are kept private and secure. We never share our data with outsiders, and we keep track of your orders so that we can issue reminders when a previous prescription is about to run out.

Fast and free delivery

Our products come to you with a fast and reliable courier service, ensuring you receive your medication on time. For more than 17 years, we have been shipping prescription medications worldwide, giving us in-depth experience in dealing with logistics, packaging, and transport. We can usually dispatch orders within 48 hours. We are also well versed in the regulations that govern cross-border delivery of pharmaceuticals into the US, to make sure that drugs you order will reach you safely by the fastest possible route.

For the growing range of meds like Skyrizi, Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy that require special transport conditions like refrigeration, for example, we can deliver medication into our customers’ hands safely and ready for immediate use.

Health and wellness focus

IsraelPharm provides more than just affordable medications; we offer expert advice on treatments and consultations to support your overall health and wellness. Our Customer Support team is always available to answer your questions, and our extensive blog library, written by experts in every aspect of pharmaceuticals and healthcare, is online 24/7 when you need to search for help answering your queries in great depth.

It all adds up to safe medications and cheap prescription drug prices

With IsraelPharm, you get what you need to manage your health in a safe and affordable way. Our offer of alternatives to high-cost prescription drugs and a convenient ordering process makes it easier than ever to get the treatments necessary for good health. By choosing a trusted online pharmacy like IsraelPharm, you can buy medicine safely and enjoy a seamless, stress-free experience.