FDA
Tips For Consumers
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)
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)
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