Healthy Habits: I Support Safeguarding Online Purchasing with .Pharmacy”

As a mother, you want to make sure your children are safe at all times, but did you know that buying their medications online can do more harm than good? I am contacting you on behalf of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) to inform you of a new website domain, .pharmacy, and to share tips for recognizing a fake online pharmacy, as well as the dangers associated with medications purchased from rogue sites.

 

Not all websites that sell medications are created equal. Some operate illegally and may sell counterfeit or falsified drugs and devices, putting your safety, health, and personal information at risk. Some websites even sell fake medicines that contain rat poison, glue, chalk, and other toxic fillers! Other websites do not secure your payment and personal information, leaving you vulnerable to identity theft. Can you believe that some sites even take your money without providing any product, or automatically enroll you in pricey refill scams?

 

Websites with any of the below characteristics might be selling prescription drugs that are counterfeit, contaminated, or otherwise unsafe. 

 

·         No prescription required

·         Prescription based solely upon online questionnaire

·         No phone number or street address

·         No pharmacist consultation

·         Limited medicines

·         Spam solicitations

 

Do not fall victim. Without a doctor’s prescription or a pharmacist to answer your questions, you also increase your risk of misdiagnosing an illness or experiencing serious adverse reactions with your other medications. To help consumers see through the rogue sites, NABP continually reviews websites selling prescription drugs to determine if they are safe. Of the over 10,800 Internet sites reviewed, NABP has found that nearly 97% of the sites fall in the Not Recommended category because they appear to be operating in conflict with U.S. pharmacy laws and patient safety standards.

 

The good news is that with the launch of the .pharmacy domain, you can feel confident that you are receiving safe medications when you are purchasing from a website ending in “.pharmacy”. 

 

To find out more about buying safely online, please visit: safe.pharmacy.