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06-08-2006, 07:33 AM
Should You Buy Medications Online?
From Cathleen Henning,
Lately you've probably noticed an increasing number of email advertisements in your inbox offering services such as this: "Order Prescription Medications Online. Shipped To Your Door OVERNIGHT! No Prescription Needed!" Businesses offering medications without prescriptions are springing up all over the Web. The claims these businesses make may sound persuasive, but is using these services a good option?
Purchasing medications and other medical products online without a prescription presents a number of dangers with those to your health and finances at the top of the list. Avoiding these services does not mean you should never purchase your medications online. There are legitimate pharmacies online where you may use your prescriptions to order your medications, sometimes more inexpensively, and definitely with more convenience.
How do you know when it's OK to do this? The following warnings, tips and suggestions have been compiled from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Buying Medicines - http://www.fda.gov/oc/buyonline/ and Medical Products Online and Buying Prescription Medicines Online: A Consumer Safety Guide - http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/consumer/buyonline/guide.htm .
What is dangerous about buying medications online?
You may find yourself facing the following dangers if you purchase drugs online without a prescription:
* Web sites offering medications without prescriptions are illegal and are not regulated in any way. The medication you purchase may be contaminated. It may not be the correct product or it may not even be a medication. You may be given the wrong dose.
* Wrong medications and dosages put you at risk for drug interactions and other health consequences.
* Both the FDA and the American Medical Association agree that it is unsafe to take prescription medication without seeing a doctor for a prescription. These illegal Web sites often will provide you with medication after you have filled out a questionnaire. A questionnaire cannot determine if a treatment is appropriate for you nor can it figure out if you have any underlying medical conditions that may be complicated by the medication.
* If you purchase medications without a prescription from a foreign Web site, you are at risk for being ripped off financially and there will be little you can do about it. It is generally illegal to import most drugs purchased from these kinds of sites.
When is it OK to buy medications online?
If you have a prescription and are purchasing your medication from a licensed pharmacy, you should be able to obtain your medications safely, with the following guidelines:
* See your doctor for a prescription and discuss any new medications you will be taking, being sure that your doctor knows your full medical history and is aware of all medications you are taking.
* Be sure you are using a licensed pharmacy. You may do so by contacting the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy - http://www.nabp.net/ online or by phone (1-847-698-6227).
* Only use online pharmacies with a licensed pharmacist available to answer your questions.
* Be sure you have contact information for the site, including a U.S. address and phone number.
* Look for privacy and security information on the site, and be sure you understand it.
Many well-established pharmacies have developed an online presence. Check with your current pharmacy to see if they offer online services. These may range from prescription refills online to having the medications shipped right to your door. You may also find yourself saving money. When looking for an online pharmacy to fill your prescriptions, require the same high standards you'd seek in an offline pharmacy.
Illegal Web sites offering medications without prescriptions may be appealing if you're having trouble affording your medications. If this is the case for you, you have other options. Please read When You Can't Afford Medication - http://panicdisorder.about.com/cs/affordingdrugs/a/payingformeds.htm .
http://panicdisorder.about.com/cs/medsbasics/a/onlinemeds.htm
From Cathleen Henning,
Lately you've probably noticed an increasing number of email advertisements in your inbox offering services such as this: "Order Prescription Medications Online. Shipped To Your Door OVERNIGHT! No Prescription Needed!" Businesses offering medications without prescriptions are springing up all over the Web. The claims these businesses make may sound persuasive, but is using these services a good option?
Purchasing medications and other medical products online without a prescription presents a number of dangers with those to your health and finances at the top of the list. Avoiding these services does not mean you should never purchase your medications online. There are legitimate pharmacies online where you may use your prescriptions to order your medications, sometimes more inexpensively, and definitely with more convenience.
How do you know when it's OK to do this? The following warnings, tips and suggestions have been compiled from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Buying Medicines - http://www.fda.gov/oc/buyonline/ and Medical Products Online and Buying Prescription Medicines Online: A Consumer Safety Guide - http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/consumer/buyonline/guide.htm .
What is dangerous about buying medications online?
You may find yourself facing the following dangers if you purchase drugs online without a prescription:
* Web sites offering medications without prescriptions are illegal and are not regulated in any way. The medication you purchase may be contaminated. It may not be the correct product or it may not even be a medication. You may be given the wrong dose.
* Wrong medications and dosages put you at risk for drug interactions and other health consequences.
* Both the FDA and the American Medical Association agree that it is unsafe to take prescription medication without seeing a doctor for a prescription. These illegal Web sites often will provide you with medication after you have filled out a questionnaire. A questionnaire cannot determine if a treatment is appropriate for you nor can it figure out if you have any underlying medical conditions that may be complicated by the medication.
* If you purchase medications without a prescription from a foreign Web site, you are at risk for being ripped off financially and there will be little you can do about it. It is generally illegal to import most drugs purchased from these kinds of sites.
When is it OK to buy medications online?
If you have a prescription and are purchasing your medication from a licensed pharmacy, you should be able to obtain your medications safely, with the following guidelines:
* See your doctor for a prescription and discuss any new medications you will be taking, being sure that your doctor knows your full medical history and is aware of all medications you are taking.
* Be sure you are using a licensed pharmacy. You may do so by contacting the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy - http://www.nabp.net/ online or by phone (1-847-698-6227).
* Only use online pharmacies with a licensed pharmacist available to answer your questions.
* Be sure you have contact information for the site, including a U.S. address and phone number.
* Look for privacy and security information on the site, and be sure you understand it.
Many well-established pharmacies have developed an online presence. Check with your current pharmacy to see if they offer online services. These may range from prescription refills online to having the medications shipped right to your door. You may also find yourself saving money. When looking for an online pharmacy to fill your prescriptions, require the same high standards you'd seek in an offline pharmacy.
Illegal Web sites offering medications without prescriptions may be appealing if you're having trouble affording your medications. If this is the case for you, you have other options. Please read When You Can't Afford Medication - http://panicdisorder.about.com/cs/affordingdrugs/a/payingformeds.htm .
http://panicdisorder.about.com/cs/medsbasics/a/onlinemeds.htm