Millions of Americans and Canadians order their prescription medications from legitimate international online pharmacies each year, and very often access to affordable overseas drugs is crucial for patients. Yet, there are pitfalls along the way that you need to avoid, and choosing an online Canadian pharmacy should be approached very carefully.
Below are some basic guidelines to help you around.
1. Valid license
Any legitimate online pharmacy is supposed to have a valid license, and this is something you have to verify in the first place. In the United States, the license is issued in the pharmacy’s home state, or province in Canada. The license number should be easily located on the website. It always makes sense to phone or e-mail the regulatory agency to have the license’s authenticity confirmed.
2. Membership seal
A legitimate Canadian Pharmacy website is very likely to have been awarded a membership seal by one of these organizations: IMPAC, NCPA, VIPPS, MIPA, or CIPA (Canada). It is extremely important to have the membership confirmed since there’s always a risk of running into a rogue pharmacy that will display the seals fraudulently.
3. Prescriptions
Legitimate online pharmacies always require that an original prescription is either confirmed by your doctor (via a telephone conversation or by fax) or sent via mail. Otherwise they are breaking the law. Also, make sure they ask for your medical history and your physician’s contact information.
4. Contacting the pharmacy
Every online pharmacy should have a real pharmacy with a licensed pharmacist or a physician to ensure you receive the correct medication. They are supposed to answer any questions you might have, so it always makes sense to have a phone conversation with a pharmacist. If a pharmacy doesn’t display its physical location with contact information, you’d better go to some other place.
5. Tracking your order
Whenever possible, choose an online pharmacy that lets you track your orders via an external source, such as the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, or UPS. This will help you tracking the location of your orders if they don’t arrive as expected.
6. Research before ordering
Another smart way to determine whether an online pharmacy is legit or scam is to perform your own research. Search for the website’s name + complaints or reviews, and in most cases you’ll get enough results to make your own judgment. Alternatively, search for praises or customer service in relation to the company in question.
7. Security
Make sure you order via so-called “secure†websites. That means a website uses special tools to encrypt all the information you type in, including your personal details and credit card number. A secure website uses “https” in its web address (URL). Websites with addresses starting with just “http†aren’t encrypted, and that means other people can gain access to your information.
8. Red flags
Always remember there are plenty of scam websites around that are offering medications without any prescription or having their own “specialists†ready to write a prescription for you. This is the very first sign of a website you want to stay away from and an obvious red flag.
Should we mention shady overseas “pharmacies†selling benzodiazepines, stimulants, or any other controlled substance without even asking for a prescription?
9. Dangers of illegal pharmacies
Losing just your money could actually be a let-off when you think about some online outlets selling medications that are past their expiration date or, even worse, contain dangerous ingredients. There’s also a possibility that you are sent a fatally wrong dose of the medication.
10. Reporting problems
Any problems or illegal sale of medications can be reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
www.icanadianhealthcaremall.com – Canadian Health&Care Mall Company.