Posted 1/27/2015 3:13 PM (GMT 0)
Radian,
I had a similar situation with my insurance not covering Asacol HD. My GI referred me to Canada Drugs, where I purchased the generic mesalamine. I didn't notice any difference between it and Asacol HD. (I think they may have eventually discontinued the generic, because it was being supplied by India? No idea why, really. If I remember correctly, I was still able to purchase the brand name Asacol HD for significantly cheaper than in the US).
You will need to supply the pharmacy with a prescription from your physician. I believe it's technically illegal to purchase prescription drugs from Canada or Mexico, so I just got a paper hard copy prescription from my doctor and mailed it to the pharmacy in Canada. I believe it's also technically illegal for Canadian pharmacists to fill prescriptions from US doctors, so Canada Drugs has subsidiary pharmacies all over the world- I think my prescription was technically filled by a pharmacy in the Bahamas, which shipped it to me. Be sure you keep track of when you're going to run out of medication, because shipping can take a while! I don't know about the HSA account, but my guess would be that you probably can't use it for purchases from other countries.
While not strictly legal, this was a great option that made it possible for me to go back on my meds (which I'd stopped because of the high cost of Asacol HD in the US). I'm sorry my memories are a little blurry- it's been a few years since this all happened. Best wishes to you and your wife!