
“With the rising costs of many prescription drugs and changes to health insurance coverage, an increasing number of Americans are filling their prescriptions through online pharmacies. A Consumer Reports survey from 2017 found that around 3.4 million Americans had purchased at least one of their medications online in the last year in an attempt to save money.”
Canadian online pharmacies can be a reliable, easy, efficient, safe, and private way of buying prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs. However, it can be difficult to understand whether you’re buying from a legitimate pharmacy.
Potential problems of Danger
Online pharmacies have a number of potential problems. Although there are laws to protect customers, there are limits to those rules. The dangers can be like:
1. They may sell counterfeit medications.
2. They may sell non approved drugs.
3. They may sell or send you medications that are wrong.
4. They may give you medications without a doctor’s prescription.
5. Your personal information will not be secure.
What should you look for?
Getting your drugs from an online Canadian pharmacy is perfectly legal, but not all online pharmacies meet strict guidelines. There are a number of things to remember when looking for a legitimate online pharmacy.
1. Check with your health insurance company.
2. Confirm that the online pharmacy requires a doctor’s prescription.
3. Watch out for the unusual prices of the medications.
4. Make sure that the Online Canadian pharmacy has a physical address.
You can verify the Canadian pharmacy online
There are significant sources that you can use to validate that you are dealing with a licensed and legitimate pharmacy. Often the requirements for these resources match and can be used together to help you verify a pharmacy online.
1. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP)
The NABP provides a searchable website database approved by either program. You can download the list as an Excel file as well. The website also contains a list of pharmacies accredited by VIPPS.
2. Pharmacy Checker
Pharmacy Checker is a company that reviews electronic drugstores in the U.S. and overseas. Consumers can also conduct price comparisons based on a five-star rating system for specific medicines and check consumer ratings.
3. The Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA)
Consumers can protect themselves from fraudulent pharmacies by paying attention to Canadian government warnings and checking the CIPA list of verified online pharmacies.