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Our weekly news column bringing the most current, non-biased health
information to the consumer. |
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March 17, 2009 |
A Publication of QVHD |
Buying Medication On-Line
By: V. Deborah Culligan, RN, MPH,
Deputy Director QVHD
People want to save money.
Since prescription medications can be costly, many people are turning to
the internet to purchase their drugs. This can be an easy way to get
your medications delivered at a lower cost. However, you must be sure
you are doing this safely . Some websites that sell medicines may not be
safe to use and can put your health at risk!
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), Center for Drug
Evaluation and Research, offers the following information regarding
on-line drug purchasing. Some websites that sell medicines are not U.S.
licensed pharmacies or even a real pharmacy. You may get a diagnosis
that is not correct and therefore receive a medication that is not right
for your condition. There is also a risk of having your personal
information stolen. The USFDA further warns that some medicines sold on
line are fake, too strong or too weak, have dangerous ingredients, are
expired and/or are not FDA-approved for safety and effectiveness.
Without FDA approval, these medications may be made using unsafe
standards, may be dangerous to use with other medicines or products, or
may not be properly labeled, stored or shipped.
Don't rely on an on-line “diagnosis” of a health problem you may be
experiencing. Consult with a health care provider who knows you and your
health history. If you do not have a health care provider, you should
establish a relationship with one.
If you are prescribed a medication by your doctor and you do want to
consider purchasing on line, you should make sure that the website is a
state-licensed pharmacy that is located in the United States . Your
state board of pharmacies can tell you if a website is a state-licensed
pharmacy. Visit www.nabp.net to find
your state board. (This site also has a lot of other good information.)
There is also a very important website you can use to find a licensed
on-line pharmacy. It is www.vipps.info
(VIPPS stands for Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites Seal.) There
are also some legitimate pharmacies that are not accredited. You can
find them on www.legitscript.com,
which has over 24,000 on-line pharmacies in its data base, of which only
250 meet the standards of the National Association of Boards of
Pharmacy!
You should be suspicious of websites that do not require prescriptions,
have no phone number or street address, do not offer pharmacist consult,
require you sigh a waiver, or advertise “limited” quantities. You should
also be aware that many non-legitimate pharmacies originate from
international web sites. Spam solicitations are also very likely to be
unreliable. For more information on this topic, District residents can
call QVHD, 248-4528 or request on line,
www.qvhd.org.
| An Ounce of Prevention is a
publication of the Quinnipiack Valley Health District, located at
1151 Hartford Turnpike, North Haven, CT 06473. Telephone:
248-4528. An Ounce of Prevention is
written by V. Deborah Culligan. The articles are published in the following local newspapers, The Advisor &
Beth-Wood News.
The content is provided as health education and
information to help you make health decisions. It is not intended to
be legal or medical advice, or substitute for recommendations made
by your health care provider. Address all comments to the district
office. |
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