At Large seat in the House of Representatives. C. Determination of Average Retail Drug Prices in Canada and Mexico Retail prices for prescription drugs in Canada and Mexico were determined via a survey of four pharmacies in Canada and three pharmacies in Mexico. In Mexico, pharmacies were surveyed in Ciudad Juarez, just across the border from El Paso, Texas. Prices from Canadian pharmacies were determined in Canadian dollars, and prices from Mexican pharmacies were determined in pesos. All prices were converted to U.S. dollars using exchange rates in effect on October 5, 1998.
Companies Typically Charge More in the United States Than in Canada .
For drugs that were not included in the GAO report, the study used the dosage, form, and package size common in the years 1994 through 1997, as indicated in the Drug Topics Red Book . All prescription drugs surveyed in this report were available in Canada in the same dosage and form as in the United States. In Mexico, several drugs were not available in the same dosage and form. In these cases, prices of equivalent quantities were used for the comparison. For example, in the United States the drug Zocor is commonly available in containers containing five milligram tablets, while in Mexico Zocor is available only in containers containing ten milligram tablets.