Medical
Products
Medical
supplies medical equipment
Medical
billing software
Medical
health care software
Medical
billing software research
Buying
Medicines & Medical Products Online
Medical
billing software scams?
Interaction
Concerns between Herbs, Vitamins, Drugs and Various Health Conditions?
Information
concerning interactions between, herbs, vitamins, health conditions and
prescription drugs. This free information is gathered from scientific
studies published in over 550 peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals.
Visit:
Health
Notes
Health
Care Directory
Our
Approach
Contact
Us |
Buying
Medicines & Medical Products Online
With hundreds
of drug-dispensing Websites in business, how can consumers tell which
medical sites are legitimate ones, especially when it is very easy to
set up a site that is very professional looking and promises deep discounts
or a minimum of hassles?
Tips and Warnings
for Consumers
If you buy medical
products online, be aware of the following dangers:
- Purchasing a medication
from an illegal Website puts you at risk. You may receive a contaminated
or counterfeit product, the wrong product, an incorrect dose, or no
product at all.
- Taking an unsafe
or inappropriate medication puts you at risk for dangerous drug interactions
and other serious health consequences.
- Getting a prescription
drug by filling out a questionnaire without seeing a doctor poses serious
health risks. A questionnaire does not provide sufficient information
for a health-care professional to determine if that drug is for you
or safe to use, if another treatment is more appropriate, or if you
have an underlying medical condition where using that drug may be harmful.
The American Medical Association has determined that this practice is
generally substandard medical care. FDA agrees.
FDA offers these tips
to consumers who buy health products online:
- Check with the
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (www.nabp.net,
(847) 698-6227) to determine whether a Website is a licensed pharmacy
in good standing.
- Don't buy from
sites that offer to prescribe a prescription drug for the first time
without a physical exam, sell a prescription drug without a prescription,
or sell drugs not approved by FDA.
- Don't do business
with sites that have no access to a registered pharmacist to answer
questions.
- Avoid sites that
do not identify with whom you are dealing and do not provide a U.S.
address and phone number to contact if there's a problem.
- Look for easy-to-find
and understand privacy and security policies. Don't provide any personally
identifiable information (social security number, credit card, and health
history) unless you are confident that the site will protect them. Make
sure the site does not share your information with others without your
permission.
- Don't purchase
from foreign Websites at this time because generally it will be illegal
to import the drugs bought from these sites, the risks are greater,
and there is very little the U.S. government can do if you get ripped
off.
- Beware of sites
that advertise a "new cure" for a serious disorder or a quick
cure-all for a wide range of ailments.
- Be careful of
sites that use impressive-sounding terminology to disguise a lack of
good science or those that claim the government, the medical profession,
or research scientists have conspired to suppress a product.
- Steer clear of
sites that include undocumented case histories claiming "amazing"
results.
- Talk to your health-care
professional before using any medications for the first time.
Consumers who suspect
that a site is illegal can report
it to FDA.
|
Notify
FDA about problem Websites
(Note: The Federal Trade Commission handles complaints
about spam. To report spam problems, go to the FTC
spam reporting page.)
Consumer
Medical Information
Some
Web Pharmacies
Pose Safety Risks
(GAO Report, June 2004)
Report Highlights
Internet
Drug Sales (FDA Congressional Testimony, March 18, 2004)
Guide
to Healthy Web Surfing
Consumer
Alert on Importing Prescription Drugs
Imported
Drugs Raise Safety Concerns
What You Should Know About Buying Foreign Medicines (Brochure)
(pdf version)
Should
You Buy Cipro, Other Antibiotics from Online Sources?
Beware
of Buying Diagnostic Tests Online
Waging
War on Internet Health Fraud
Buying
Medical Devices Online
Buying
Medical Devices Online Can Be Tricky (Brochure)
(pdf version)
Buying
Contact Lenses Online
Buying
Drugs Online
How
to Spot Health Fraud
Buying
Prescription Medicines Online: A Consumer Safety Guide
Medical Enforcement
News
'Operation
Cure.All' Battles Internet Health Fraud
|
