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Do's and Don'ts of Purchasing Prescription Drugs Online

As an older adult, you are likely looking for ways to save time and money, especially with prescription medications. Online pharmacies make it so easy to order your medications. They even have education pages so that you can read up on your medication as well as possible drug interactions. You might even receive email newsletters with information such as the latest generic drugs.

However, with online pharmacies, you have to be extra careful when ordering your prescriptions. Some of these online places do not toss expired drugs out and may actually ship them to you. They may have improperly stored medications while others do not even ask for your doctor's prescription before filling you order!

In order to protect yourself against some unscrupulous or unsafe online pharmacies, try to follow these simple hints:

1. Communicate with your doctor. Share what herbal remedies as well as over the counter drugs you use before getting a prescription filled. Sometimes, there may be potential adverse drug interactions you can avoid with simple communication.

2. If you plan to use an online pharmacy, check for its legitimacy. An online licensed pharmacy will have accreditation with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. You can also look for a seal of approval from the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites. These online pharmacy websites can only earn this approval through obtaining state licensing as well as governing and inspections from the National Association of Pharmacies.

3. Ensure that you can speak with a licensed and registered pharmacist at any time during your customer relationship with the online pharmacy. If the online pharmacy cannot provide professional help to answer your drug questions, go elsewhere.

4. Comparison shop. While online pharmacies can save you money, your local brick and mortar pharmacy can too. Check with both.

5. To be safe, stick with online, registered and licensed pharmacies in your own country. Foreign companies may be legitimate but they are not always held by the same standards of quality and practices that the US is. You may not receive exactly what you are prescribed/

6. Read through the security and privacy policies on the website. You do not want your information shared with any third parties and you want to make sure that online transactions are secure and cannot be hacked.

7. Beware of fake medications. Counterfeit drugs are big business. Protect yourself by learning what your medication should look like in terms of size, color, texture and even the writing on the pill.

8. Choose an online pharmacy that plainly lists a mailing address as well as telephone numbers for them and avoid those websites that list only foreign phone numbers.

9. Only use an online pharmacy that ships FDA approved medications. Do not take anything that has not been approved as they could be unsafe.

10. Don't be afraid to complain if you never received your medication or where shipped something wrong. If you used a credit card, you can call them to halt payment if necessary.

Take charge of your health and double-check all medication that is shipped from your online pharmacy. Don't earn a trip to the hospital because you were not diligent enough to ensure that you had the correct medication.