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Buying Prescription Medicine Online:
A Consumer Safety Guide
Buying your medicine online can be easy.
Just make sure you do it
safely.
The Internet has changed the way we live, work
and shop. The growth of the Internet has made it possible to
compare prices and buy products without ever leaving home. But
when it comes to buying medicine online, it is important to
be very careful. Some websites sell medicine that may not
be safe to use and could put your health at risk.
Some websites that sell
medicine:
-
aren’t U.S. state-licensed pharmacies or
aren’t pharmacies at all
-
may give a diagnosis that is not correct
and sell medicine that is not
right for you or your condition
-
won’t protect your
personal information
Some medicines sold online:
-
are fake (counterfeit or “copycat”
medicines)
-
are too strong or too weak
-
have dangerous ingredients
-
have expired (are
out-of-date)
-
aren’t FDA-approved
(haven't been checked for safety and effectiveness)
-
aren’t made using safe standards
-
aren’t safe to use with other medicine or
products you use
-
aren’t labeled, stored, or shipped correctly
MEET AND TALK WITH YOUR DOCTOR
-
Talk with your doctor and have a
physical exam before you get any new medicine for the first
time.
-
Use ONLY medicine that has been
prescribed by your doctor or another trusted
professional who is licensed in the U.S. to write
prescriptions for medicine.
-
Ask your doctor if there are any
special steps you need to take to fill your prescription.
These tips will
help protect you if you buy medicines online:
KNOW YOUR SOURCE to make sure it’s safe
Make sure a website is a U.S. state-licensed
pharmacy. Pharmacies and pharmacists in the United States
are licensed by a state’s board of pharmacy. Your state
board of pharmacy can tell you if
a website is a state-licensed pharmacy and is in good
standing. Find a list of state boards of pharmacy on the
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP)
website at
www.nabp.info.
The NABP is a professional association of
the state boards of pharmacy. It has a program to help you
find some of the pharmacies that are licensed to sell
medicine online. Internet websites that display the seal of
this program have been checked to make sure they meet state
and federal rules. For more on this program and a list of
pharmacies that display the Verified Internet Pharmacy
Practice Sites™ Seal, (VIPPS® Seal), go to
www.vipps.info.
Look for websites with
practices that protect you
A safe website should:
-
be licensed by the state board of
pharmacy where the website is operating (check
www.nabp.info
for a list of state boards of pharmacy)
have a licensed pharmacist to
answer your questions
require a prescription from your
doctor or other health care professional who is licensed
in the United States to write prescriptions for medicine
have a way for you to talk to a person
if you have problems
BE SURE YOUR PRIVACY IS PROTECTED
Look for privacy and security policies
that are easy-to-find and easy-to-understand.
Don’t give any personal information
(such as social security number, credit card, or medical or
health history), unless you are
sure the website will keep your information safe and
private.
Make sure that the site will not sell
your information, unless you agree.
PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS
Report websites you are not sure of, or
if you have complaints about a
site.
Go to
www.fda.gov/buyonline
and click on “Notify FDA about problem websites.”
Buying your
medicine online can be easy. Just make sure you do it safely.
For more information
on buying medicines and medical
products over the Internet, go to
www.fda.gov
and click on “Buying Medicines Online,” or go directly to
www.fda.gov/buyonline.
For related
information, go to:
Imported medicine
www.fda.gov/importeddrugs
Counterfeit medicine
www.fda.gov/counterfeit
Generic drugs
www.fda.gov/cder/ogd
U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services | Food and Drug Administration
www.fda.gov
1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332)
Is this Online
Pharmacy Guide Information enough?. Please visit our Online
Pharmacy Home Page
Copyright masterpills.com 2004.
All Online
Pharmacy Products mentioned are trademarks of their
respectives companies.Before purchasing or using any Online
Pharmacy prescription medication, please visit your regular
physician for a physical examination. Please check the rules
in your state or country regarding an online pharmacy
purchase.
This site is for
information purpose only.
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