For many people, an online pharmacy means a lot. It is where they get drugs with little to no stress and at enticing prices. Online pharmacies also promise to be very convenient, efficient, and private – you do not need a physical examination from a doctor to get your drug, whether a prescription or over the counter medications.
Online pharmacies are great, no doubt, but like every coin, there is another side to these benefits. While many online pharmacies are registered by appropriate regulatory bodies to dispense drugs, there are a lot more that are rogue. In fact, the number of rogue pharmacies far outweigh the registered ones.
How Do You Spot a Rogue Online Pharmacy?
In almost every country in the world, running an online pharmacy is legal. However, some fraudsters and scammers misuse this privilege to sell fake, unlicensed, and even contraband drugs online. Because of this, it is essential for everyone to know how to spot these rogue online pharmacies.
So, how do you differentiate between a legal online pharmacy and one trying to sell fake drugs to you?
The Process of Dispensing Drugs – Prescription Drugs
This is one of the easiest ways of spotting a rogue online pharmacy. The way an online pharmacy goes about dispensing prescription drugs should tell you whether it is a registered pharmacy or not. PS: It is both legal and possible to buy your prescriptions from online pharmacies.
A registered online pharmacy is required to follow a strict regulation (which is provided by a regulatory body specific to each country). One common thing to most registered online pharmacies around the world is the requirement of a valid prescription or a virtual checkup by a telemedicine doctor before allowing you to purchase prescription medication.
A telemedicine doctor is one who uses telecommunication to run diagnostics on patients. In some countries, you are also required to fill a form before you can get a prescription medication off an online pharmacy.
If an online pharmacy doesn’t require any of the following before offering you a prescription drug, the chances are high that you have visited a rogue pharmacy. As a general rule too, run from any online pharmacy that would sell a drug (either a prescription drug or one available over the counter) without requiring you to register with them.
Is the Pharmacy Licensed?
Different countries have specific regulatory agencies that register, control, prosecute, and guide how online pharmacies function in that country. If it is legal to operate online pharmacies in your country, then there would be a regulatory body controlling them.
When you visit an online pharmacy, it is important that you check for a licensing badge from the appropriate regulating body in your region. These badges are not difficult to find; they are either flaunted at the home page as a sign of a great achievement or at the bottom page.
If you have rampaged the website of the online pharmacy and there is no seal or licensing badge, you can proceed to check the website of the regulatory body in your country. Also, these badges can be created using a photo editor and placed on the website of a rogue pharmacy, can’t they?
If you are unsure about where an online pharmacy falls into, you should proceed to visit the website of your state or country board of pharmacy. They would have the answers you need. More often than not, their website contains a list of registered online pharmacies. It also contains a list of red-flagged online pharmacies.
Is There a Physical Address?
Having a physical address also means there is a place where the drug comes from. It also means that complaints can be launched when there is a problem. If the online pharmacy has a physical address attached to its website, you can check with google maps to make sure an actual pharmacy is located there.
If the pharmacy located there has the same name as the one on its website, chances are that the online pharmacy is registered. On the other hands, if the online pharmacy doesn’t have a physical address and little to no online history, that’s a red flag. For further checks, you can check the contacts of the doctors and pharmacist working with the corporation.
How Will Your Drugs Be Delivered?
There have been cases where people bought drugs from online pharmacies that never got to them. This happens mostly when you shop from a rogue online pharmacy. Before you proceed to by a drug from an online pharmacy check how the drug will get to your location.
Most online pharmacies deliver drugs through mail-orders, while a few deliver the drugs themselves. Spend a couple of minutes searching google, and you can decipher whether the delivery agent or method exists. If it doesn’t, or the reviews from your brief search aren’t convincing, try another pharmacy.
If you are paying a visit to an online pharmacy, ensure the method of delivery is legit. We advise that you stick with online pharmacies that operate within your region, this will reduce your chance of running into a rogue one. Avoid pharmacies that promise worldwide delivery within 48 hours, especially if their prices are irresistible.
Which Online Pharmacies Can You Trust?
If you follow the above tips, you would be able to identify a legally operating online pharmacy. When you get one, then you can shop for your medications without much to worry about. Below are some of the online pharmacies that have been tested and have been found worthy.
- Pharmacy2U: This is the first and one of the biggest internet pharmacies operating in the United Kingdom. Pharmacy2U began its operations in operating in 1999 and has operated within the law ever since. Visit Pharmacy2U to learn more about their services.
- Online Pharmacy Canada: This is one of the biggest online pharmacies in Canada. It is fully regulated by the appropriate bodies and sells drugs to U.S. and Canadian residents.
- Pharmica: This is another prominent name in the United Kingdom. Pharmacia has a physical pharmacy in London. This online pharmacy store along with its pharmacies are registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. Visit Pharmica to learn more about its services.
- Drugmart: Drug Mart is a reputable registered online pharmacy. It offers worldwide shipping (except to Canada) of a wide range of over the counter and prescription drugs.
- Medplusmart: If you reside in India or its neighboring countries, Medplusmart is an online pharmacy you can trust. You can also buy other products, including cosmetics from this pharmacy.
There are tons of other registered online pharmacies where you can get your medications from. But before you do, check if the pharmacy has been registered. Pharmacychecker is a great website that offers a list of registered (not all inclusive) registered online pharmacies as well as red-flagged pharmacies.
Finally
The dispensation of drugs through online pharmacies is a trend that would only grow stronger in the coming days. Shopping for your medications online would save you not only the stress but also money. This is because they offer great discounts not easy to come across in physical pharmacies.
We hope that the tips we have provided will not make you shy away from online pharmacies, but help you spot legit online pharmacies which would ease your purchase of drugs.
