Online Pharmacies: Are They Worth It?

For those who don’t have health insurance, a good prescription drug plan, or want to purchase medication privately, online pharmacies are sometimes used as an alternative option for obtaining medications. But are they worth it?

Online pharmacies come with risks associated that you should be aware of before utilizing them as an option. In this article, we’ll discuss what online pharmacies are, the risks involved, and potential alternatives to consider.

What are Online Pharmacies?

Online pharmacies, also known as mail-order pharmacies, strictly operate over the internet. They can either operate within the same country as the customer or out of the country. When using an online pharmacy, the customer will purchase their desired medications and have them shipped to their home address.

People who utilize online pharmacies are typically looking for cheaper drug alternatives or wish to obtain medication without consulting a physician for a prescription. While the intent may be good, the ramifications of using this method can be serious.

The Cons of Using an Online Pharmacy

While using an online pharmacy can sound appealing, unfortunately, it has the potential for some very negatively impactful results that you should weigh heavily before making a decision. Take a look at these cons of using an online pharmacy:

• You could run into legal consequences. Online pharmacies often operate outside of the US and do not require you to submit a prescription in order to purchase medication. This is a big no-no. In the US, it is illegal to purchase controlled substances when you don’t have a prescription.
• Another legal consequence could be purchasing prescription drugs that aren’t approved previously by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Most drugs manufactured in other countries aren’t approved by the FDA, and therefore illegal to purchase.
• Improper packaging is something to be concerned with, as well. Most medications require certain temperature storage conditions. During the FDA’s research, packages in the sun can reach up to 136 degrees Fahrenheit. This can cause the medication you purchased to not work properly or at all.
• When you visit a doctor and obtain a prescription for medication, your medical history and current medication use is taken into account when a decision is made. This is important because many medications can interact negatively with each other or with certain medical conditions. You could be inadvertabtly making your health situation worse.
• Unfortunately, it’s been found that false claims are often made through online pharmacies. Findings have shown that many online pharmacies claiming to be located in Canada, for instance, are actually located in different countries. At the same time, these pharmacies were found to also be providing medications that weren’t genuine or true to their name. Harmful ingredients were also a concern.

Alternative Options

Because the risks associated with online pharmacies can outweigh the benefits, it’s important to consider other alternatives that may be helpful, such as:

• Sign up for an RX savings card, like Good RX, to obtain discounts on your prescription purchases. You can sometimes save up to 80% using one of these cards.
• If you have insurance, check to see if they have an approved online pharmacy you can use. Often, these legitimate online pharmacies will offer extra savings along with the convenience of your medications being delivered to you.
• There are legitimate online pharmacies you can use, just be sure to verify their safety before use. Make sure they require a prescription for medications and only use sites that end in .pharmacy instead of .com. When you see this, it means that they have been approved by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP).