Prescription Medication Checkout Checklist

By: MedSafetyCoach - May 11th, 2011  Filed under: Identifying Safe Sites Add Comment

Before you make buy pharmaceuticals online, make sure your online or in house pharmacy has everything on the lPre-purchase Checklistist below.

  • Make sure the site REQUIRES a prescription, either verified with your doctor or written electronically by their doctor, for any prescription medication.  You can get repeat prescriptions online, but the site should still require information about your original prescription from your local doctor.
  • Search on the site or call in to find out where the medication is manufactured and if it’s FDA approved  (Name brands manfactured from foreign sources aren’t necessarily the same as U.S. brands) 
  • Make sure that the doctors and pharmacies are accredited and based in the U.S.
  • Be certain that the medication you want can actually be shipped to your state.  Each state has their own shipping restrictions on medication so don’t buy from a site that does not follow these regulations.  Legal online pharmacies should provide shipping information on their site.
  • Look for complete contact information and attempt to call the customer service line.  A good online pharmacy should answer the phone. 
  • Review the privacy and return policies, terms and conditions and customer responsibility agreement before you place your order
  • Make sure there is no membership required or hidden fees.  A good online pharmacy will not require you to pay a membership fee to buy pharmaceuticals online.
  • When placing your order online make sure the order form browser window read https://… Not just http://… (the ‘s’ on the end designates you’re using a secure server and your information cannot be viewed by 3rd parties online)
  • Don’t give out your credit card information out until your sure they are legitimate!

If you can check off everything on this list, then you can be confident that you are buying your prescription medication online safely.

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Tags: accredited, credit card information, membership fees, return policy, secure server, state shipping restrictions

7 ways to tell if an online pharmacy is legitimate

By: MedSafetyCoach - July 13th, 2010  Filed under: About Online Pharmacies, Identifying Safe Sites Add Comment

1. Do they require a prescription? As you know already, its illegal to sell prescription medication without a prescription.  If you see any major tag lines that say “No Prescription Necessary” or if you get the order form and was never asked for your previous prescription history before check out, then look for another online pharmacy.

2. Is their medication FDA approved? You only want to buy medication from within the USA that has been FDA approved.  If you cannot find this on the home page, check their FAQ or consumer help section for this information.

3. Are their doctors and pharmacies located in the USA ?Look for “US Licensed” doctors and pharmacies that are working with your online pharmacy.  If there is no mention of being in the US, then they probably are not.

4. Are their company headquarters are located? Considering that legitimate online pharmacies need to work with FDA approved medication and US licensed doctors and pharmacies, it only makes sense that they would also be located in the USA.  Check for their mailing address and see if you can find out exactly where they are.
 

5. Can you easily find their  contact information? You should be able to quickly and easily locate a phone number, email address or live chat option that will get you in touch with the company.  Then go ahead and try to contact the company and see what kind of response you get.  You should be able to talk to a live person relatively quickly and they should be able to answer all your questions with confidence and ease.

6. Does the site show their privacy and return policy as well as terms and conditions? Make sure you see these policies listed and that you read through it before placing orders.  Most legitimate online pharmacies will allow you to return or get a refund for your order and most sites will have very strict privacy policy in place.

 7. Do the prices seem fair? Of course pricing shopping is a big component to any online purchase but make sure that the price you are paying seems fair.   Most pharmacies buy their medication from the manufacturer at the same price so the prices online should all be fairly similar.  If the price is way too low, then that’s a sure sign that they are not going to send you what you asked for.

 

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Tags: FDA, legal, pricing, safety, US pharmacy