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There are over 180 internet
pharmacies on the web and hundreds of others sites offer to sell you a wide
variety of drugs with little or no problem. Twelve of these pharmacies
are
certified by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacies and have
met stringent guidelines for safety. The Internet makes it possible to
compare prices and buy products without ever leaving home. But when it
comes to buying medicine online, it is important to be very careful.
Some websites sell medicine that may not be safe to use and could put your
health at risk.
The inviting lines: cheap
drugs, no prescription required, confidential overnight delivery may be
warning signs that you should investigate the site further before providing
any information.
Some common indicators that the "Internet Pharmacy" site may not be
legitimate and should not be used as a source for controlled substances
include the following.
- The site does not provide a legitimate address and phone number (is it
in the US, Canada, ?)
- The site is not a participant in any insurance plan (check your plan
for approved pharmacies)
- The site requires that all payments be made with a credit card.
- The site requires that you waive some rights before they send you the
drugs.
- The site advises you about the law and why it is permissible for you
to obtain pharmaceutical controlled substances from foreign countries via
the Internet.
- The site does not ask the name, address, or phone number of your
current physician.
- The site suggests the drugs be sent to PO boxes or other locations to
avoid detection by U.S. authorities.
- The site does not require that you provide a bona fide prescription
issued by your personal physician or mid-level practitioner."
There is a very large
industry around the world (especially China and Russia) specializing in fake
drugs. These are pills made to look exactly like the real ones but may
contain poisonous materials like lead and no real medicine. The
packaging may be almost perfect but the pills are phony. Some
"internet pharmacy" sites don't even sell drugs. They just take your
credit card and identity information and sell that.
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DEA
Alert:
"Web sites offering to sell prescription controlled substances
directly to consumers "without a prescription" or "without requiring a
doctor visit" are operating outside the requirements of the federal
Controlled Substances Act.
It is illegal to purchase controlled substances, which include drugs
such as narcotic pain relievers (e.g., OxyContin®, Vicodin®),
sedatives (e.g., Valium®, Xanax®, Ambien®), stimulants or "diet drugs"
(e.g., phentermine, phendimetrazine, Adderall®, Ritalin®), and
anabolic steroids (e.g., Winstrol®, Equipoise®), unless you or your
pharmacy has received a valid prescription from your doctor. |
Some websites
that sell medicine aren’t U.S. state-licensed pharmacies or aren’t
pharmacies at all, may give a diagnosis that is not correct
and sell medicine that is not right for you or
your condition and may misuse your personal information.
Some medicines sold online
are fake, are too strong or too weak, have dangerous ingredients,
are out-of-date, aren’t FDA-approved, aren’t made
using safe standards, aren’t safe to use with other medicine or products you
use or aren’t labeled, stored, or shipped correctly. The 2004 GAO
report on Internet Pharmacies is stunning in the problems they found
with internet pharmacies and drug stores.
Selecting an Internet
Online Pharmacy or Drugstore
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Make sure the site
requires a prescription and has a pharmacist available for questions.
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Buy only from
state-licensed pharmacies. The National
Association of Boards of Pharmacies has more information about
licensing and its program to
certify online pharmacies.
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Don't provide personal
information such as credit card numbers unless you are sure the site will
protect them.
Protect yourself and others
- Report websites you are not sure of, or if
you have complaints about a site.
Go to www.fda.gov/buyonline
and click on “Notify FDA about problem websites.” Help the FDA do its
job of protecting us.
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Really cheap drugs may be hard to come by.
Some internet pharmacy and drugstores sites are better than others so shop
carefully and take care of yourself. That really cheap "Viagra" just
might do you in. Shop carefully and you can save some money on your
prescriptions and safeguard your health. You can type or highlight and
drag any of these terms into the search below and you'll see what I mean: Cheap drugs,- Lortab, hydrocodone,
Oxycodone, Oxycontin, Viagra, Cialis, internet pharmacy, discount pharmacy, no
prescription required.
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