Possible Dangers of Buying Medicines Online
In the US, many consumers are now replacing their pharmacy trip with a single click solution that is available on the internet. There are number of websites available over the internet where consumers can buy their prescription drugs and other health care products.
Many online portals offer safe prescription drugs. Consumers can use these online stores to buy their medicines. But they need to be aware of the stores that are using internet to sell illegal products/drugs. These so called “rogue sites” either sell unapproved drugs or dangerous drugs that have not been verified properly for safety or effectiveness. A rogue site may look professional and legitimate but it can actually be indulging in illegal activities.
The rogue sites often sell drugs that are unapproved, contain wrong active ingredients, or contain no or very less active ingredient.
Danger to your health
Buying drugs online is a great idea but there is no way to know whether your medicine is safe and legal. Or whether it will actually work or not! Here are a few reasons why you should not buy your medicines online:
1. A medicine that you bought online may look the same but you can’t be sure whether it’s the genuine drug that’s prescribed to you.
2. There is no way to know how and where the medicine was made. There is no way to know whether the medicine manufacturer followed the right protocols and maintained the right standards of quality and hygiene.
3. There are chances that the medicine may not have been packed, labeled or stored properly. The medicine package may not contain accurate medicine labels, such as medicine directions, warnings, and uses, etc.
4. The medicine you bought online may contain the wrong active ingredient. It is also possible that the quantity of the active ingredient could be too much or too little in the medicine. It could do more damage to your body.
5. Some of the medicines bought online have been found to contain dangerous toxic substances.
How to protect yourself?
If you’re buying your medicines online then you need to be very careful while buying prescription medication.
1. Make sure to buy your medicines only from state-licensed pharmacy websites available in the US.
2. Don’t buy your medicines from the website that sells medicine without any prescription.
3. Check out with National Association of Boards of pharmacy to know whether your online pharmacy website has license or not. Check whether they meet quality standards or not.
4. Don’t share your personal information, such as your credit card details, security number, or health history – unless you’re sure that the website will keep your information safe and private.
5. Use legitimate websites that have a licensed pharmacist to answer your questions.
