FDA Tips for Consumers
Buying Medicines and Medical Products
Online
Tips and Warnings for Consumers
With hundreds of drug-dispensing Websites in business,
how can consumers tell which sites are legitimate ones, especially
when it is very easy to set up a site that is very professional
looking and promises deep discounts or a minimum of hassles? If
you buy medical products online, be aware of the following dangers:
- Purchasing a medication from an illegal Website puts you at
risk. You may receive a contaminated or counterfeit product,
the wrong product, an incorrect dose, or no product at all.
- Taking an unsafe or inappropriate medication puts you at risk
for dangerous drug interactions and other serious health consequences.
- Getting a prescription drug by filling out a questionnaire
without seeing a doctor poses serious health risks. A questionnaire
does not provide sufficient information for a health-care professional
to determine if that drug is for you or safe to use, if another
treatment is more appropriate, or if you have an underlying
medical condition where using that drug may be harmful. The
American Medical Association has determined that this practice
is generally substandard medical care. FDA agrees;
FDA offers these tips to consumers who buy health
products online:
- Check with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
(www.nabp.net,
(847) 698-6227) to determine whether a Website is a licensed
pharmacy in good standing.
- 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 FDA.
- Don't do business with sites that have no access to a registered
pharmacist to answer 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.
- Look for easy-to-find and understand privacy and security
policies. Don't provide any personally identifiable information
(social security number, credit card, and health history) unless
you are confident that the site will protect them. Make sure
the site does not share your information with others without
your permission.
- Don't purchase from foreign Websites at this time because
generally it will be illegal to import the drugs bought from
these sites, the risks are greater, and there is very little
the U.S. government can do if you get ripped off.
- 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" results.
- Talk to your health-care professional before using any medications
for the first time.
(Source: http://www.fda.gov)
|
