
Some websites offer medications without a prescription or a doctor review.
Many of the reputable websites employ their in-house physicians to review the medication request and write a prescription accordingly. Online pharmacies in the United States are required to be approved by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). People living in the United States and other countries where prescription medications are costly may turn to online pharmacies to save money. Some customers order drugs from such pharmacies to avoid the cost and inconvenience of visiting a doctor or to obtain medications their doctors are unwilling to prescribe. While many Internet pharmacies sell prescription drugs only with a prescription, some do not require a written prescription, as prescriptions may not be necessary in some countries. Some customers consider this to be more convenient than traveling to a community drugstore, in the same way as ordering goods online rather than going to a shop. Legitimate mail-order pharmacies are somewhat similar to community pharmacies one primary difference is the method by which the medications are requested and received. Discussion Canisters containing pharmaceuticals are loaded into an automatic dispensing machine at a mail-order pharmacy. The coroner in Leicester investigating a death found that a patient requesting drugs “has potential access to multiple online pharmacies”, each of which “have no knowledge of what each other have been prescribing”. The British Community Pharmacy Patient Safety Group was concerned that online pharmacies should implement “appropriate safeguards”, “particularly when prescribing and dispensing medicines that are liable to abuse, misuse and overuse”.
Other concerns include potential lack of confidentiality, improper packaging, inability to check for drug interactions, and several other issues. Minors can order controlled substances without adult supervision. For example, one study of drug shipments claiming to be from Canada revealed many of the drugs actually originated in several other countries and were often false medications. Sometimes, an online pharmacy may not be located in a country that is claimed. Illegal or unethical pharmacies sometimes send outdated, substituted, or counterfeit medications to the person who ordered the drug instead of the real medication. The use of insulated shipping containers also helps control drug temperatures, reducing risks to drug safety and efficacy. Shipment by express mail and couriers reduces transit time and often involves delivery to the door, rather than a mailbox. For example, the US FDA found the temperature in a mailbox in the sun could reach 136 ☏ (58 ☌) while the ambient air temperature was 101 ☏ (38 ☌). Uncontrolled shipping conditions can include high and low temperatures outside the listed storage conditions for a drug. The shipment of drugs through the mail and parcel post is sometimes a concern for temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals. Home delivery of pharmaceuticals can be a desirable convenience, but sometimes it can lead to problems with uncontrolled distribution. The "pharmacy" may send outdated (expired shelf life) or counterfeit medications and may not follow standard procedural safeguards.Ĭonventional brick and mortar pharmacies usually have controlled drug distribution systems from the manufacturer, sufficient validation, and follow good distribution practices. The web page for an illegal pharmacy may contain lies about its home country, procedures, or certifications. Illegal or unethical internet pharmacies. This type of pharmacy is usually licensed by its home country and follows those regulations, not those of the international orders. Legitimate Internet pharmacies in a different country than the person ordering. Legitimate Internet pharmacies in the same country as the person ordering. Pharmacy benefits managers – Entities that administrate corporate prescription drug plans. An online pharmacy, internet pharmacy, or mail-order pharmacy is a pharmacy that operates over the Internet and sends orders to customers through mail, shipping companies, or online pharmacy web portal.