| The Internet has rapidly changed
every aspect of our lives. We now not only use the
Internet for informational or recreational purposes,
but now we use it to shop and make our daily purchases
from the safety and convenience of our homes. Many
consumers nowadays purchase their medication online,
as it its cheap, convenient, easy and most of all
safe. However, while there are many legitimate online
pharmacies, there are also some questionable sites
that make purchasing medication online a risk.
The potential risks of
using an unlicensed pharmacy are:
• Getting fake, unapproved, outdated, or
sub-standard products or medications
• Little or no quality control
• Obtaining an inappropriate medicine (e.g.,
for an inappropriate for condition) &
• Lack of assurance of confidentiality and/or
security.
To purchase medication online safely, here are
some basic things you need to know:
Meet with your doctor
to obtain a new prescription
Only take medications that have been prescribed
by your doctor or other authorized health care
provider. Always consult your doctor when filling
out a prescription. It is important never to buy
medication from an online site that offers to
sell prescription drugs without a physical exam
by a doctor or without a prescription.
Ensure that you are
dealing with a legitimate pharmacy
Buy medications only from sites that require prescriptions
from a physician or authorized health care provider.
These sites should also verify each prescription
before dispensing the medication. Make sure that
the sites you also provide convenient access to
a licensed pharmacist who can answer your queries.
Check with your state board of pharmacy or with
NABP (National Association of Boards of Pharmacy)
at www.nabp.net. Some pharmacy sites display the
NABP VIPPS™ (Verified Internet Pharmacy
Practice Sites) seal, as an assurance that such
sites meet all applicable state and federal requirements.
It is important never to buy drugs from a site
not approved by the FDA.
Know from whom you
are buying
Buy prescription medication only from U.S-based
sites, as it is illegal to import some drugs into
the country. Never buy any medication from a site
without a privacy or security policy.
Trust your instincts
Always use common sense when purchasing prescription
medications online, and avoid buying medication
from sites that claim amazing medical results.
You can protect yourself, by reporting any problems
you face with a pharmacy to the FDA. If you suspect
a site is not a licensed pharmacy, do not buy
from it. For any additional information, go to
the FDA website at www.fda.gov .
The FDA offers the
following tips to protect you online:
• Check with the National Association of
Boards of Pharmacy (www.nabp.net) to verify if
the site is a licensed pharmacy.
• Do not buy from sites that offer prescription
drugs without a physical exam.
• Do not buy from sites that sell prescription
drugs without a prescription, or sell drugs not
approved by the FDA.
• Only use sites that can provide the services
of an online licensed pharmacist to answer your
questions and queries.
• Avoid sites that do not identify with
whom you are dealing or do not have a U.S. address
and phone number.
• It is important to beware of sites that
advertise "new cures" for serious disorders
or sites that offer a quick cure for a wide range
of ailments.
• Be careful of sites that use impressive-sounding
terminology. They can be fake.
• Stay away from sites that include undocumented
case histories and claim "amazing" results.
• And always speak to your doctor or health-care
practitioner before using any medication.
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