# I need to send a prescription drug to Canada.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-send-a-prescription-drug-to-canada/592085>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 9, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-send-a-prescription-drug-to-canada/592085 "2011-08-09T15:16:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-send-a-prescription-drug-to-canada/592085/1 "2011-08-09T15:16:50Z")

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My son is spending the summer in Canada. I had a prescription filled for him. It is a controlled substance. I would like to mail it to him but don’t want it hung up in customs or create any legal problems.

Can I put it in an envelope and have it get there? Is it legal to do this? Do all packages, no matter how small get hung up in customs?

Hope this isn’t considered asking for legal advice.

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**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-send-a-prescription-drug-to-canada/592085/2 "2011-08-09T17:24:39Z")

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It might not be a controlled substance in Canada. I can’t offer any other help, ecept to suggest a few things.

1. Call Canadian customs and/or the Canadian postal service.
2. Have your son go to a doctor in Canada and get a prescription there. Send him some money instead.

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**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-send-a-prescription-drug-to-canada/592085/3 "2011-08-09T18:06:11Z")

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[This](http://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c6_009.htm) page on the USPS site makes it appear pretty clear that you cannot send it by international mail. I took a quick look at the UPS site and couldn’t find anything useful.

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-send-a-prescription-drug-to-canada/592085/4 "2011-08-09T19:23:48Z")

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> [@Boyo\_Jim](#):
>
> 1. Have your son go to a doctor in Canada and get a prescription there. Send him some money instead.

I think this is the best option. You could probably have his US doctor call the Canadian doctor to collaborate on it.