 About the risk of co-signing US prescriptions
Several members have called seeking advice about requests from US residents to co-sign prescriptions written in the United States. This occurs because some medications are considerably less expensive in Canada. The CMPA's General Counsel cautions that co-signing these prescriptions — thus arguably approving the indication for the medication — may establish a patient–physician relationship, even though the US resident was not asked for a history and was not examined. This may make the physician potentially liable in the United States for difficulties flowing from the use of the medications. In the event of a US lawsuit, the physician may not be eligible for assistance from the CMPA. The physician may also be exposed to scrutiny by provincial/territorial regulatory authorities (Colleges) in Canada. 
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