Online Pharmacy Alert – Dr. Marina Noble MD, MPH Expert Advice

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Reliability:  Online pharmacies may be unreliable, with factors like shipping delays coming into the picture.  Missing dosages of certain medications can have serious consequences.

Hidden costs: Hidden fees may include account fees, ordering fees, and consultation fees. These additional expenses can drive up costs, negating the benefit of low prices and free shipping.

Privacy policies: Illegal online pharmacies may pose risks to consumers of credit card fraud and identity theft. They may provide privacy, but privacy policies may be lacking. A website cannot sell your personal information unless you agree to it.  Any financial information given may also be vulnerable to hackers.

Illegal: The NAPB conducted a study in 2013 and found that 96.7% of online pharmacies did not comply with federal and state laws. This report covered over 10,000 pharmacies and of these only 90 were considered legitimate with a further 258 considered to have the potential to be classified as legitimate. Buying drugs from a pharmacy situated outside the U.S. might be illegal.

How you can distinguish the good from the bad

Price too low: If prices are way too low, it should be a red flag. It could mean that the drugs have not approved by the FDA and are coming from outside the U.S.