BENEFITS AND RISKS:
Using an online or mail-order pharmacy (referred to below as online pharmacy) can save you a great deal of money and provide other benefits. However, there are also potential risks.
BENEFITS:
- Lower prices — Lower drug prices in other countries, lower overhead costs compared to bricks and mortar pharmacies, and lower price mark-ups by discount and wholesale pharmacies often result in savings compared to local pharmacy prices. You can quickly shop around for the lowest prices online. Click here to compare prices across online pharmacies.
- Privacy/Anonymity — You may feel more comfortable purchasing or asking questions online (or by fax or phone) regarding certain medications. However, privacy can be compromised if an online pharmacy uses your information for unauthorized purposes so it is important that the online pharmacy has an appropriate privacy policy; this is one of the things that PharmacyChecker.com checks for you.
- Access to more generics — Due to differences in patent protection, generic drugs may be available outside the U.S. for drugs only sold as brand name versions in the U.S.
- Convenience — If you find it physically difficult to make it to the pharmacy, live in a remote rural area, or have a very busy schedule, online and mail-order pharmacies enable you to avoid travel and can save you time.
- Medical information — Some online pharmacies provide useful information about medications and diseases as well as links to medical resources such as universities, government agencies, and health associations.
RISKS:
- Some online pharmacies do not dispense drugs through licensed pharmacies. It is essential that you use pharmacies that are licensed. Licensed pharmacies are inspected on a regular basis and require the presence of licensed pharmacy personnel. Purchasing drugs from an unlicensed pharmacy greatly increases your chances of buying counterfeit and/or substandard products. PharmacyChecker.com verifies that a site is, or fills orders with, a licensed pharmacy.
- Some online pharmacies do not adequately protect your personal and financial information. It's important for an online pharmacy to include a privacy policy, one that promises not to share your personal information with third parties. Online financial transactions should be secured by the online pharmacy through adequate encryption technology. PharmacyChecker.com's verifies whether privacy is promised and transmittal of financial information is secured.
- Some online pharmacies do not give their address and/or telephone number. If in the course of purchasing drugs from an online pharmacy you have a problem, question, or complaint, it becomes very important to contact the company using its telephone number or address. PharmacyChecker.com verifies contact information and provides it in the Profile of each online pharmacy listed on this site.
- Additional fees are typically added to the drug price. There is almost always a shipping fee and there may also be a medical fee, order fees, and/or an account set up fee. PharmacyChecker.com shows you these fees and compares total costs. Compare drug prices at http://www.pharmacychecker.com/ListingAlpha.asp.
- Prices can change quickly. online pharmacies are continually changing their prices. Lowball prices are common in order to attract new customers, but these prices don't always last. PharmacyChecker.com regularly updates all prices.
- Some online pharmacies don't adequately safeguard your health. By failing to require a prescription, some online pharmacies might send you medication that could be dangerous to you. PharmacyChecker.com verifies that online pharmacies require a prescription.
- Some online pharmacies may sell medications that can be extremely dangerous, if not taken under medical supervision. In the U.S., these drugs are known as controlled substances, such as hydrocodone, valium, or xanax. See U.S. laws on importing drugs below for more information about controlled substances. For a list of controlled substances go to http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/scheduling.html . Other drugs, known as restricted distribution drugs, such as such as Accutane, Mifeprex or Thalomidare, while not controlled substances, are also very dangerous if taken without the appropriate medical supervision. For a list of these drugs see: http://www.fda.gov/oc/buyonline/consumeralert120902.html.
To help protect you from risky websites, PharmacyChecker.com checks for you whether online pharmacies are licensed, offer security and privacy of your information, provide an address and phone number, require an original prescription and your medical information. It also finds out whether online pharmacies charge added fees and periodically updates prices to help you can find the lowest drug prices.
In addition, PharmacyChecker.com maintains a list of Rogue Pharmacy Websites; sites that do not follow safe online pharmacy practices and from which we strongly recommend you never order. |
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