The Online Pharmacy - How to Safely Shop for Drugs Online

Safety concerns regarding buying prescription drugs online pharmacy revolve around problems relating to your personal wellness, the legality of transactions, and security regarding your personal information. Online pharmacies provide handiness and other advantages just like personal privacy and in some instances less expensive prices in comparison to the traditional brick and mortar pharmacy, but with no due diligence the buying prescriptions online pharmacy can be fraught with a number of deleterious pitfalls.

To guarantee the safety of prescription medicines the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) demands that medications go through safety clinical trials, and that the benefits outweigh the risks related with a drug before it is approved for marketing and sale in the United States. However pharmacists outside of the United States that dispense drugs manufactured outside the United States are not bound by federal regulations, posing a health hazard for those who select to purchase from them. Because a number of pharmacies, even within the United States, import and deliver non-FDA approved drugs manufactured outside of the country, it is important to make sure that the online pharmacy you choose only dispenses FDA approved prescription medications. The primary concerns about buying prescription medication from rogue online pharmacies that dispense drugs not authorized by the FDA approved are, the drugs you acquire might be counterfeit, toxified, sub-potent, super potent or perhaps the wrong drug, all of which could endanger your health. In the worst-case scenario, you may not receive any medication at all despite spending for it. Therefore, it is definitely important to ensure that the buy online pharmacy is licensed and based in the United States and if not that it is accredited and dispenses drugs approved by its government.

Since rogue pharmacies tend to want to be invisible and inaccessible except in the internet, it is important to obtain up-to-date contact information in the contact form of a physical address and phone number. With that information you can attempt to obtain a Better Business Bureau report. If a Better Business Bureau report is not available you can then do an advanced Dun & Bradstreet search in order to make sure that the business really does in fact exist. Prevent doing business with operations that only supply you with an e-mail address as a form of contact. In addition to possibly precluding you from obtaining credentials and information about business practices, the provision of merely an e-mail address might be an warning of the quality of customer service you may expect or not expect. Also obtain the license number and any accreditation credentials from the pharmacy then confirm the info through the state pharmacy board of the state in which the pharmacy is based, an all essential step since some of the alleged Internet pharmacies are not really legitimate licensed operations. In addition to verifying license status and the fact that the pharmacy is situated in the United States and meets quality standards, state boards of pharmacy or the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) can also let you know if an online pharmacy is licensed by Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) or other identified accreditation programs. VIPPS pharmacy websites can be recognized by the VIPPS hyperlink seal displayed on their Web sites.

A lot of buy pharmacies online advertise the filling of prescriptions without a doctor's order which can certainly be a health threat if a prescription is filled without a thorough knowledge and understanding of your health record. The pharmacies that do this have a tendency to hurdle the legal requirement of the doctor/patient relationship by having you fill out a questionnaire which is supposedly reviewed with you by their medical doctor during a phone consultation. In case you choose to take part in this kind of interaction and relationship (which I do not recommend) always be sure that the pharmacy engaging in this practice is compliant with the telemedicine laws of the state in which it is based since the definition of the establishment of a doctor/patient relationship varies from state to state. Furthermore obtain the credentials of the doctor providing the phone consultation including the state in which he or she is licensed and the license number, then confirm that info through the medical board of the state in which the doctor is licensed to make sure that a legal license is kept for the state in which you can be found at the time of the telephone appointment. Otherwise the claimed relationship based mostly on phone and Internet would not be a legit one inasmuch as the interaction would be tantamount to the practice of medicine without a license. The take-home message is avoid buying prescription medications on the internet without the order of a physician who is thoroughly knowledgeable with your health history based not only on subjective info, but objective data as well including a physical examination, laboratory tests and x-rays if warranted. A physician's order also inhibits the unapproved substitution of generic prescription medication for brand-name medication, so make sure you are aware of whether or not their doctor has certified generic substitution, and if not be sure to know what the brand-name pill appears like before it arrives following shipment. The best way to be able to be familiar with what brand-name pills look like is to order the first prescription from a local drug store and keep 1 or 2 of the pills in their respective containers for comparison when your shipment arrives.

Although the legitimate ramifications of not being compliant with federal and state laws regarding the sale, importation and distribution of pharmaceutical medications generally rest with the pharmacy, the order and possession of controlled substances such as narcotics without a doctor's prescription can end up in legal consequences for the customer, depending on the state of residence. Therefore, the information is the same. Do not acquire prescription medications, specifically controlled substances, without a doctor's prescription. If you are elect to buy medication not available in the United States and not approved by the FDA from a foreign Internet pharmacy for treatment of any condition for which your doctor feels it is indicated, be sure to obtain and keep on record a letter or note from your doctor saying that.

Right after you have performed the above research and you are pleased with the results the last step should be to ensure that any personal information submitted is guarded and that your online purchases are safeguarded. Make sure that the certain site has a well stated privacy policy guaranteeing you that your information will never be shared with or sold to anybody for the purpose of marketing therefore making you a target for junk e-mailing. Furthermore be sure that your online credit card purchase is secure to safeguard you from identity theft. This can usually be achieved by searching for the lock icon to the right of the address bar of your browser before entering your credit card and other transaction info. Since credit card transactions can never be 100% secure because of just what might happen to the info after is retrieved from the system, it is reasonable to find out whether or not the pharmacy will accept other forms of transaction or even file with your insurance company.

In conclusion, do the necessary and appropriate investigation of an online pharmacy before getting medications online so as to optimize the likelihood of a medically, legally, financially and emotionally safe buying experience.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purpose only and it is not intended to be legal advice or a substitute for medical consultation with a qualified professional. If you are seeking lawful guidance or are doubtful about your medical condition you need to seek advice from an attorney and/or physician.

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