The Internet is rapidly changing the way we live, including how we work and shop. The growth of the Internet in recent years has enabled many consumers to purchase medicines online. There are online pharmacies that provide legitimate prescription services....

The Internet is rapidly changing the way we live, including how we work and shop. The growth of the Internet in recent years has enabled many consumers to purchase medicines online. There are online pharmacies that provide legitimate prescription services. Unfortunately, there are also questionable sites that make purchasing medicines online risky.

Potential risks include:

- Fake, unapproved, outdated, or sub-standard products
- Little or no quality control (packaging, purity of ingredients, storage)
- Possibility of an incorrect diagnosis (i.e., those sites that inappropriately diagnose and prescribe online)
- Obtaining an inappropriate medicine (e.g., inappropriate for condition, interaction with other drugs)
- Lack of assurance of confidentiality and security issues

Tips and Warnings for Consumers

With hundreds of drug-dispensing Websites in business, how can consumers tell which 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?

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:

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.
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.