Tips to Find the Best Safe Online Pharmacy

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A combination of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fast pace of the digital age, and a need for convenience has seen the online pharmacy market rapidly grow.

Forecasters estimate that there will be a compound annual growth rate surge of approximately 19% between 2020-2026 in America’s online pharmacy market revenue.

But this method of obtaining prescriptions and medication can be concerning to some. It can also put people at risk if they are not trusting the right online sources.

 

How can you be sure you are dealing with a safe online pharmacy?

What is an Online Pharmacy?

An online pharmacy allows a customer to purchase medication over the internet.

Cutting out the need to physically go to the drugstore, this is a convenient method of delivering medicines to those who are less able to get out and about, or who struggle to find the time to go to the pharmacy in person.

Online pharmacies can be based anywhere globally. While this is convenient in some respects, it also means many aren’t regulated by US laws. Unlike a mail-order pharmacy, not all online pharmacy stores liaise with insurance providers.

 

There are risks, therefore, with online pharmacies; especially those without links to insurers. They may not be safe. Often these sites draw in punters with offers of heavily discounted medication. You cannot be sure this medication is 100% legitimate, and this can be dangerous.

In stark contrast, mail-order pharmacies are subject to strict laws, regulations, protocols, and health and safety checks.

Those without health insurance often turn to online pharmacies. Some are legitimate, but you should never trust an online pharmacy that isn’t Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Site (VIPPS) accredited.

How to Make Sure it’s a Safe Online Pharmacy

The VIPPS ensures a pharmacy is above board. If it is not under the VIPPS program, it can be a scam site. These can take your money and provide you with the wrong medication.

This, in turn, can be catastrophic, depending on the medication type and the health condition you are suffering from.

The VIPPS was created when people began receiving counterfeit medication from these sites when the internet became mainstream for public use and online shopping in the 1990s. 

If an online pharmacy is VIPPS-accredited in the US, it will be listed on the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy’s website.

You can also check the online pharmacy with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and PharmacyChecker (read on for further details of these organizations).

Dangers of Unchecked Online Pharmacies

Dishonest pharmaceutical providers can cause very serious risks.

Not only do you risk purchasing counterfeit medication, but these may also pose a danger to your health if not properly approved by governing organizations.

Sadly, these companies can make it easier for you to be able to have access to drugs without a prescription, and without the approval of a doctor.

It’s true that the FDA regulates prescription drugs in the US, but online pharmacies ship from all over the world. This means imported products are not FDA-approved.

Another danger: if it is not a safe online pharmacy store, you are at risk of being scammed or losing money.

How to Check the Legitimacy of an Online Pharmacy 

Before ordering pharmaceuticals online, it’s sensible to check with your health insurance provider. They will have access to an approved selection of drug providers. If your proposed pharmacy is not on this list, avoid it.

It’s worth noting, however, that an online pharmacy not on your insurer’s list may still be legitimate. It might simply be that your insurer does not work with them. In this case, check with the likes of the FDA, NABP, VIPPS, and PharmacyChecker.

Be wary of companies that offer prescription drugs without a prescription. This is likely not above board. Similarly, if they offer a service in which a doctor can write the prescription for you, without seeing you first, this is another major issue.

Research pricings as well. An online pharmacy with either very high or very low costs could be untrustworthy.

Another method of checking is to see whether the pharmacy has a physical address registered to it. Should you be using a US-based pharmacy, for example, make sure it’s registered in the US. And avoid those with PO Box addresses, too.

Check With the Regulators

It’s easy enough to check your online pharmacy’s legitimacy with the appropriate organizations. They tend to tie into one another as well, which is helpful and provides added assurance.

NABP is a nonprofit and supplies other sites with an accreditation program. The VIPPS program, for example, looks into an online pharmacy’s prescription-filling methods, as well as how it might handle data protection. It will also assess how a company communicates with customers.

If a website features the VIPPS logo on it, be sure to cross-check it against the official VIPPS site, as it could be copied and pasted.

Be sure to look out for a .pharmacy domain name too.

 

The NABP also liaises with the FDA with regards to VIPPS seals of approval.

The FDA is also the place to go if you wish to report an online pharmacy you believe is unsafe.

PharmacyChecker verifies both foreign and US medication websites and offers price comparison features and consumer ratings.

They also offer a seal of approval to online drugstores that pass their tests.

Sent With Care

Kiwi Drug is a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand and the Pharmacy Guild of New Zealand, as well as other compulsory regulators. We have also passed all the requirements of the Medicines Control authority.

This makes us a safe online pharmacy you can trust. The medication we administer is of the highest quality. And thanks to the value of the New Zealand dollar, we are at the top of our game.

Don’t hesitate in getting in touch with any questions you might have via our contact page.