Medicine Information

5 Risks to Avoid When Purchasing Discount Medicines Online


With the increasing price of prescription medications, many consumers are finding it more difficult to afford the price of prescriptions. Due to this, a large number of such consumers are looking for alternate ways to find affordable medications. One of theses avenues is purchasing medicines online. While there is no doubt that it is possible to save a good bit of money by purchasing medicines online, consumers should be aware of all the facts; including risks, before proceeding.

Among the number one risks related to purchasing medicines online the possibility that you make receive medication that is not good quality. Even worse, the medication you receive could possibly be contaminated. In other cases, products that have been marketed on the internet have been eventually discovered to either contain no medicine at all or either a different medicine than the name under which it was marketed. In other cases, medication was sold stating that it contained a dosage that it did not. For example, it might have been marketed as a 500 mg dose when in reality, it only contained 100 mg. All of these possibilities pose a particular danger if you a reliant on a medication.

Another danger related to purchasing medications online involves the possibility of obtaining a medication without a prescription. Many medications are regulated by prescription for a number of very good reasons. First, most medications have properties which may interact adversely with other medicines. If you obtain medication online without a valid prescription and are unaware of the interactions it may have with other medications you are taking or conditions you may have; this can create a serious and life-threatening situation.

Some websites offer to sell medications that have not yet been approved by the FDA. While it can be a lengthy and time consuming process to wait for the FDA to approve a drug, the process is in place with good reason. Taking medications that have not yet been approved by the FDA can expose you to all sorts of health risks.

In some cases you have no way of knowing if the medications you are buying online are actually coming from foreign countries. It is actually illegal to import medications into the US from foreign countries. One of the reasons this is illegal is because medications that have been produced outside the United States have been manufactured without quality assurance guidelines. This means they may be unsafe and dangerous. By purchasing medications online from a foreign country you may be putting yourself at risk for health issues as wealth as legal problems.

These warnings are not to say that you should never purchase medicines online. There are some companies which are perfectly legitimate and provide safe products at a reasonable price. In order to make sure that you are dealing with a legitimate company and not a company that is merely trying to run a scam by offering unsafe products, there are a few things you can do.

First, make sure that the company you are dealing with online is a licensed pharmacy. Don't just take their word for it. Check with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy at their website to find out if the company you are interested in is a member. Avoid dealing with companies that do not appear to be based in the US, offer to sell you medications without a prescription or to write you a 'prescription.' This is a recipe for disaster.

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program.

Emily Clark is editor at Lifestyle Health News and Medical Health News where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on many medical, health and lifestyle topics.


MORE RESOURCES:

Woman employed as nurse accused of medicine theft
Chicago Tribune, United States - 15 hours ago
AP IOWA CITY, Iowa - A woman employed as a nurse at a Coralville nursing home is accused of stealing more than $8000 worth of medication by forging other ...


GNIF Brain Blogger

How to practice medicine without a license
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA - Aug 28, 2008
Doctors not licensed to practice medicine in California are allowed to practice medicine in California as long they restrict their decisions to injured ...
When the Doctor is the Patient GNIF Brain Blogger
all 2 news articles


Greenville man was a nuclear medicine pioneer
Greenville Daily Reflector, NC - 4 hours ago
One award from the Society of Nuclear Medicine Education and Research Foundation was presented to Richards for his outstanding work with science applied to ...


KU School of Medicine-Wichita dean stepping down to teach
Lawrence Journal World, KS - 12 hours ago
By Mark Vierthaler S. Edwards Dismuke, dean of the Kansas University School of Medicine-Wichita, announced Friday he is resigning effective Sept. 10. ...
Dean of KU School of Medicine retires Kansas.com
Dismuke to step down as dean of Wichita’s KU Med School Bizjournals.com
Medical school dean steps down The Wichita Eagle
all 10 news articles


YHS offering class in sports medicine
Nisqually Valley News, WA - 12 hours ago
Clinton will develop a comprehensive sports medicine program. He previously worked at Moses Lake High School, with 12 years of previous teaching and ...


Some medicine shops should remain open for 24 hours: DM
The Statesman, India - 11 hours ago
29: The district magistrate Mr CR Das today held a meeting with the medicine shop owners’ association urging them to keep some of their shops at English ...


Turkish Press

Besieged Kashmiris running out of food and medicine
Daily Times, Pakistan - 10 hours ago
By Khalid Hasan WASHINGTON: Message received by this newspaper from Srinagar paint a bleak picture with curfews, massive shortages of food and essential ...
Two hour curfew relaxation after 83 hours of confinement Etalaat
GeNext finds azaadi, stone in hand Calcutta Telegraph
all 581 news articles


Smart Personalized Medicine, LLC, Founded by Dr. Richard Caruso ...
MarketWatch - 18 hours ago
Under the terms of the Agreement, HDC will receive a 15% equity position in Smart Personalized Medicine, LLC based on up to a $5 million initial investment ...


Herbal medicine all-clear
Gulf Daily News, Bahrain - Aug 27, 2008
Researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) discovered one-fifth of US and Indian-manufactured Ayurvedic medicines they purchased online ...
A Dose of Lead or Mercury With Your Medicine U.S. News & World Report
Ayuvedic medicine: Toxic metals in remedies for sale on internet guardian.co.uk
How hazardous are herbal remedies? Hindu
WebMD - United Press International
all 171 news articles


Cove greets Family Medicine Clinic Posted on: Saturday, August 30 ...
Killeen Daily Herald, TX - 47 minutes ago
Future patients and guests had questions answered by employees during the Family Medicine Clinic ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday in Copperas Cove. ...

Medicine - Google News

home | site map | Dr. Thad Thomas
© 2006