Online Pharmacy

Overview

Legal internet pharmacy websites offer a convenient and private way for consumers to fill prescriptions without sacrificing their health and safety.
Online pharmacies require customers to have a valid prescription from their physician when buying medicines on the web.

Every website in this field that works legally must also provide the ability to consult a licensed professional pharmacist that can answer patient’s questions about dosages, substitutions, and drug interactions or any other issue on the phone, by email or online.

Tips: How to Buy Medicine Safely and Avoid Pharmacy Scams Online

Just like any other field that involves buyers, sellers, and money that switches hands, the online pharmacy industry also has its fair share of scammers, fraudsters and cybercriminals that operate on the World Wide Web and look for potential victims.

Fraudsters and criminal organizations run an extremely high number of illegitimate and unsafe websites that do not comply with state or federal regulations nor meet patient safety standards.
Many operate from outside the U.S. to stay beyond the reach of law enforcement agencies.

These scammers sell fake, expired, contaminated, diluted, unapproved or mislabeled medicine or pharmaceutical products that contain dangerous compounds, harmful substances or unsafe ingredients.

Patients are often tempted to use these illegal websites due to their deeply discounted prices, the ability to get drugs without having to obtain and present a prescription or the ability to get drugs not approved by the FDA.

However, consuming these types of “medications” can be extremely dangerous to one’s health and may cause serious side effects and life-threatening repercussions, including death.
Besides the obvious health risks, fraudulent pharmacy websites are often associated with misuse of private and sensitive information, identity theft, phishing, spam, computer viruses and spyware, and other potential negative threats.

Taking these steps will help you find credible and reliable drugstores and complete your purchase in a safe, secure and satisfactory way:

Buy from U.S. Pharmacies Only

Know whom you’re dealing with and buy drugs only from properly licensed pharmacies (by your state board of pharmacy) that are physically located in the United States.
Under all circumstances, avoid using foreign sites.

Avoid Sites That Dispense Prescription Medicine Without a Prescription

Stay away from rogue online drug outlets that allow users to buy prescription drugs without a prescription from a doctor who has evaluated you in person.

Investigate the Online Pharmacy’s BBB Record

Check the company’s record on the Better Business Bureau’s website.
What you’ll find there, will help you evaluate whether it’s a legitimate business that deserves your money and trust or if you must look elsewhere.

Look for current BBB rating, customer reviews, complaints, warnings and alerts on their business profile.
Also, learn how long it has been in business – a potential indicator of experience and reputation.

If the website is not even listed with the BBB, this is a very bad sign.
On the other hand, if the online pharmacy is certified as a BBB Accredited Business, it’s an important positive signal.

Prefer Using Verified Websites

Prefer using online drugstores successfully vetted by reliable third-party organizations), such as NABP-certified vendors (sites with a .pharmacy domain extension) or companies approved by the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) program.

Pay Close Attention to Red Flags

Learn how to protect yourself better when shopping on the internet, to avoid scammers and keep safe in general.
Knowing how to check if a website is legitimate or not is the first line of defense.