07 | 12 | 2007 Posted By Regan Zambri & Long

Safe Ways to Buy Drugs Online: FDA Tips

Do you need to fill a prescription?  Do you want to save money by on-line ordering?  Rising drug and health care costs have prompted many to fill their prescription drug orders through Internet pharmacies.  Not all Internet pharmacies are equal, however.  The government's General Accounting Office (GAO) reported to Congress in 2004 that prescription drugs purchased online by their investigators were in many instances unsafe.  Often, they were unaccompanied by important instructions, some temperature-sensitive drugs were shipped in regular envelopes, and sometimes the chemical composition of the drugs was not at all what it should have been -- the drugs were counterfeit.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises that you can safely save money by filling your drug orders online if you know where to shop.  The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) maintains a directory of legal Internet pharmacies that have passed state and federal health and safety inspections, and been licensed to sell prescription drugs online.  The websites of these pharmacies display a Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Site (VIPPS) logo, which can be authenticated by consumers by visiting the VIPPS website.

The FDA also offers the following general guidelines for buying medical products on the Internet:

  • "Check with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy to determine if the site is a licensed pharmacy in good standing (visit the Web site at www.nabp.net, or call 847-698-6227).
  • Don't buy from sites that offer to prescribe a prescription drug for the first time without a physical exam, sell a prescription drug without a prescription, or sell drugs not approved by the FDA.
  • Use sites that provide convenient access to a licensed pharmacist who can answer your questions.
  • Avoid sites that do not identify with whom you are dealing and do not provide a U.S. address and phone number to contact if there's a problem.
  • Beware of sites that advertise a 'new cure' for a serious disorder or a quick cure-all for a wide range of ailments.
  • Be careful of sites that use impressive-sounding terminology to disguise a lack of good science or those that claim the government, the medical profession, or research scientists have conspired to suppress a product.
  • Steer clear of sites that include undocumented case histories claiming 'amazing' medical results.
  • Talk to your health-care practitioner before using any medication for the first time."

 If you see a website you are unsure of, or if you have complaints about an online pharmacy website, visit the FDA's Buying Medicines and Medical Products Online website, and click the "Report Problem Websites" icon.

Previously on the DC Metro Area Medical Malpractice Blog, we have posted the following articles on related topics: 
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