1.  Identify Canadian Pharmacy Filling Prescription:

• The U.S. patient should know the Canadian pharmacy's name, address, phone number, license number, and province where the pharmacy is licensed.
• This information should be clearly identified on the web page, on registration forms or provided by affiliate U.S. organizations.
• Deal with a CIPA pharmacy, but be aware that some use the CIPA seal fraudulently.  To be certain, go to VERIFY A CIPA MEMBER and enter the name of the pharmacy you are considering.

 2.  Contact the Canadian provincial pharmacy regulatory agency:

• To ensure that the pharmacy is a legitimate Canadian pharmacy the patient can contact the provincial pharmacy regulatory agency.   Alberta - www.pharmacists.ab.ca,  British Columbia- www.bcpharmacists.org,  Manitoba- www.mpha.mb.ca  
• The provincial pharmacy regulatory agency sets standards of practice and regulates pharmacy from a patient safety perspective.
• If contacting a regulatory agency, be sure the mention the filling pharmacy name that will be found on the CIPA member's site.
• A U.S. patient has the same rights as a Canadian patient to file a complaint with a provincial pharmacy regulatory agency.

3.  Make Sure Your Canadian Pharmacy Follows the Rules

• The Canadian pharmacy should require a prescription from the patient’s U.S. physician.
• The Canadian pharmacy should obtain both demographic and medical information from the U.S. patient.
• The Canadian pharmacy should have a Canadian physician review patient information before authorizing a Canadian prescription. 
• The U.S. patient should have access to a Canadian pharmacist for the purpose of medication counseling and drug information.