How to Safely Buy Drugs via an Online Pharmacy

Safety concerns regarding buying prescription medications online pharmacy revolve around issues pertaining to your personal health, the legality of transactions, and protection of your personal information. Online pharmacies provide convenience and other advantages such as privacy and in some cases cheaper prices compared to the traditional brick and mortar pharmacy, but without due diligence the buying of prescription medication online can be fraught with a number of deleterious pitfalls.


Step 1
Make sure that the online pharmacy you choose only dispenses FDA approved prescription medications. In the case of a foreign pharmacy, make sure it dispenses only prescription drugs approved by its government.

Step 2
Obtain up-to-date contact information in the form of a physical address and telephone number. Also obtain the license number and any accreditation credentials from the pharmacy.

Step 3
Make sure that the online pharmacy is licensed and based in the United States. In the case of a foreign pharmacy, make sure it is licensed in the country where it is based and that it dispenses only prescription drugs approved by its government.

Step 4
Attempt to obtain a Better Business Bureau report. If a Better Business Bureau report is not available do an advanced Dun & Bradstreet search to make sure that the business does in fact exist.

Step 5
Verify the pharmacy’s credentials through the state pharmacy board of the state in which it is based or from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). Verify any other accreditation credentials such as Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) or membership in other recognized accreditation programs. In the case of a foreign pharmacy verify its accreditation credentials through the proper government recognized agency of the country in which it is based.

Step 6
See if the pharmacy requires a doctor’s order for prescription medication. If the pharmacy does not require a doctor’s order to fill a prescription, but has its own doctor who establishes a doctor/patient relationship via telephone consultation consisting of reviewing a customer questionnaire on the telephone obtain the name and license of the doctor and verify his or her credentials through the medical board of the state in which the license is held before agreeing to the consultation and purchasing medication.

Step 7
If your doctor does not authorize substitution of brand-name medication with generic pills get the first prescription of the medication filled at a local pharmacy and keep one or two of the pills in their respective bottles for comparison when your shipment of medication ordered online arrives.

Step 8
If satisfied with the results of steps 1 through 7 find out the method of payment required and if the pharmacy will accept your insurance if that is your desire. Make sure that online pharmacy website has a well stated privacy policy assuring you that your information will not be shared with or sold to anyone for the purpose of marketing. In the case of credit card payments, make that your online credit card transaction is secure.


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