If someone would have told me ten years ago that purchasing medications online would become as prevalent as it is today, I would not have believed them. I probably would have thought it was totally unsafe and an industry that would be impossible to regulate. Not to mention we usually pay much more for drugs than we should. For example, you can get coupons for Eliquis and a number of other medications if you know where to look
However, there are methods of purchasing drugs from online pharmacies that are able to protect you and your health.
Can I purchase drugs online safely?
You might be wondering if it's even possible to purchase drugs online safely at all. The answer is yes, you are completely and totally able to purchase drugs safely on the internet. There are plenty of businesses operating online that follows regulatory guidelines when it comes to adhering to prescription standards. One such example is ukmeds.co.uk.
These legitimate businesses offer an alternative way to access your medicine and don't need to pay for the upkeep of a storefront. However, be wary of online pharmacies that offer you discounts that seem unrealistic, as these are probably not legal dispensing of medications. There are regulatory registrations for pharmacies that operate solely online, as well as pharmacies that operate in-store.
Investigate the legitimacy of the pharmacy
Many Americans are able to purchase certain drugs cheaper, or access medications they otherwise can't, by buying them in Canada. Illegitimate pharmacies know this and will often employ the use of Canadian symbolism in order to seem like a more attractive option. This doesn't necessarily mean that they are actually a safe seller of medications, and you should practice caution when purchasing from these stores. If the medication you're purchasing cannot be accessed in the United States, you may not even be allowed to possess it without breaking the law anyway.
Websites that do not require your physician's prescription, and have a “don't ask” approach are operating illegally. The online store should also have a pharmacist who can assist you professionally with any questions that you may have as well.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has online resources that allow you to check if the online pharmacy is properly licensed. If you are purchasing from a legal pharmacy and there is an error or a severe problem with your medications, Drug Watcher is an entity that monitors and holds pharmaceutical companies to an accountable standard. Ensuring pharmaceutical companies answer to the law is important to public safety.
Use a physical store's online pharmacy
Instead of looking for a pharmacy online that operates solely on the internet, you can always see if the local store also has an online option. By doing this you know you are working with a business that is legal and will offer you pharmaceutical assistance if necessary. You won't need to worry about being sent too much medication, or fake medication like you may with an illegal online pharmacy. You might even call and ask them for their full website in case you're worried about “look-alike” sites.
These services can even be better than having medications mailed to you. They may offer a service where you're visited once a week with all of your medications at the same time range every week. This way you don't have to be concerned about your medications being stalled by delays in mail delivery.
Don't purchase anything illegal
If any online pharmacy is offering a substance that is otherwise illegal or is selling a medication under a pretense doing something it doesn't they are not complying with the FDA or the law. If you are attempting to access medications that are illegal in the state you can be charged, even if you tried to make a purchase online. Online stores that only accept payments in the form of wire transfers or cryptocurrencies are definitely not legitimate sources of your medications. The FDA monitors the legal drugs in the country for a reason, and illegal medications are classified that way with good intentions.
You can order drugs from pharmacies in a completely safe and ethical way from reputable sources that require a physician's prescription. Be wary of companies that try and tout Canadian symbols in order to entice an American audience into purchasing their prescriptions. If they're not requiring any documentation and only accept shady methods of payment they are not an authentic business. You have the option of using a physical store's online pharmacy options in order to avoid running into these forms of illegal operations. Make sure you're not making purchases on the internet that can land you in legal trouble and always follow the law.
