— — Shopping for secure medication on-line is tougher than one might imagine. Solely 3 % of on-line pharmacies are secure and authorized, in accordance with the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration.
There are a lot of tips the shady web sites use in an effort to lure you in and make you assume they’re secure by, for instance, presenting themselves as official Canadian firms. However Libby Baney, the director of the Alliance for Protected On-line Pharmacies, says even in case you see Canada within the identify, beware, as a result of you haven’t any concept the place these medication truly originate.
“The World Well being Group has discovered that one in two medicines, or 50 %, offered on-line are counterfeit. It’s vastly harmful. There’s boric acid, lead, freeway paint in these medicines,” Baney advised ABC Information’ “20/20.” “And the medicines they’re promoting you aren’t coming from Canada.”
The commonest sources of the medication, she says, embody Turkey, Russia, China and India.
Baney is aware of all too effectively how harmful faux on-line medication could be. Her sister, Ali, ordered an allergy medicine on-line and was sick for a full 12 months from the uncomfortable side effects. She now fights tirelessly to fight the broad world of illicit on-line medication. She says you have to be geared up with some main info earlier than ordering from a web site.
Apprehensive your prescription medication may very well be illegitimate? Listed here are the principle methods Baney says you possibly can confirm that what you’re shopping for is official:
1. Examine the Nationwide Affiliation of Boards of Pharmacy’s web site to see whether or not your pharmacy is a verified Web apply pharmacy website.
2. Go to legitscript.com, and sort within the web site of the net pharmacy to see whether or not it’s accredited.
3. Purchase to the precise of the dot: Search for the pharmacy web site area, and ensure the pharmacies you’re shopping for from are on that area.
She additionally has a tip in case you discover that medicine is simply approach too costly.
“If you’re having points with price, go to NeedyMeds.com,” Baney mentioned. “It’s a nonprofit group run by well being care professionals that will help you discover medication at a decrease price.”
For extra info and assets on safely purchase prescription medicine, go to the FDA’s “BeSafeRx: Know Your On-line Pharmacy” web site HERE.
