Buying Prescription Medicine Online:

A Consumer Safety Guide (FDA)

Buying your medicine online can be easy.
Just make sure you do it safely.

The Internet has changed the way we live, work and shop. The growth of the Internet has made it possible to compare prices and buy products without ever leaving home. But when it comes to buying medicine online, it is important to be very careful.

Some websites sell medicine that may not be safe to use and could put your health at risk.

Use of the Internet to buy medical products is growing rapidly. Many consumers benefit from the convenience and privacy of this new option. Unfortunately, both consumers and legitimate pharmacies are now being threatened by the "rogue sites" of fraudulent or disreputable Internet businesses that sell products illegally. While FDA is working to combat these illegal sites, these educational products can help to educate consumers on how to safely and legally buy medical products online.

Some websites that sell medicine:

• aren't U.S. state-licensed pharmacies or aren't pharmacies at all

• may give a diagnosis that is not correct and sell medicine that is not right for you or your condition

• won't protect your personal information
  

Some medicines sold online:

• are fake (counterfeit or "copycat" medicines)

• are too strong or too weak

• have dangerous ingredients

• have expired (are out-of-date)

• aren't FDA-approved (haven't been checked for safety and effectiveness)

• aren't made using safe standards

• aren't safe to use with other medicine or products you use

• aren't labeled, stored, or shipped correctly

MEET AND TALK WITH YOUR DOCTOR

• Talk with your doctor and have a physical exam before you get any new medicine for the first time.

• Use ONLY medicine that has been prescribed by your doctor or another trusted professional who is licensed in the U.S. to write prescriptions for medicine.

• Ask your doctor if there are any special steps you need to take to fill your prescription.

These tips will help protect you if you buy medicines online:

KNOW YOUR SOURCE to make sure it's safe

Make sure a website is a state-licensed pharmacy that is located in the United States. Pharmacies and pharmacists in the United States are licensed by a state's board of pharmacy. Your state board of pharmacy can tell you if a website is a state-licensed pharmacy, is in good standing, and is located in the United States. Find a list of state boards of pharmacy on the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) website at www.nabp.info.

The NABP is a professional association of the state boards of pharmacy. It has a program to help you find some of the pharmacies that are licensed to sell medicine online. Internet websites that display the seal of this program have been checked to make sure they meet state and federal rules. For more on this program and a list of pharmacies that display the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites™ Seal, (VIPPS^® Seal), go to www.vipps.info.

Look for websites with practices that protect you

A safe website should:

1. be located in the United States and licensed by the state board of pharmacy where the website is operating (check www.nabp.info for a list of state boards of pharmacy)

2. have a licensed pharmacist to answer your questions

3. require a prescription from your doctor or other health care professional who is licensed in the United States to write prescriptions for medicine

4. have a way for you to talk to a person if you have problems
   

For more information on buying medicines and medical products over the Internet, go to www.fda.gov and click on "Buying Medicines Online," or go directly to www.fda.gov/buyonline.

Prescriptions are also used for things that are not strictly regulated as a prescription drug. Prescribers will often give non-prescription drugs out as prescriptions because drug benefit plans may reimburse the patient only if the over-the-counter medication is taken under the direction of a doctor. Conversely, if a medication is available over-the-counter, doctors may ask patients if they want it as a prescription and possibly incur a pharmacist's dispensing fee or whether they want to get it themselves at a lower price. If the patient wants the medication not under prescription, the prescriber is usually careful to give the medication name to the patient on a blank piece of paper to avoid any confusion with a prescription. This is applied to non-medications as well. For example, crutches, and registered massage therapy may be reimbursed under some health plans, but only if given out by a prescriber as a prescription.