Things to be considered when buying drugs from an online pharmacy

Author Information

Chemist has 11 Published Articles

United States of America,
Warwickshire,
Rugby,
Whaley Chemist,
30 Sheep Street

Things to be considered when buying drugs from an online pharmacy

Posted On : Dec-23-2011 | seen (577) times | Article Word Count : 969 |

With plenty of online pharmacies popping up all over the internet, it is important to have a clear idea of what to look out for when buying drugs and medicine online.

Many people are now turning to the internet to buy their medication, as it is seen as a more convenient, quicker and often cheaper alternative than going to the doctor or chemist. It can also be an easy way to avoid the embarrassment of having to speak to someone face to face about personal issues. However, there are a range of factors that need to be considered in order to make sure that you are receiving the correct medication and that it is safe for you to take.

With the availability of information about illnesses on the internet continuing to grow, self diagnosis is becoming more and more common. This growth in self diagnosis has led to many people then seeking the cure for their perceived illnesses online as well. This poses several issues for the patient. Firstly, different symptoms can be attributed to a whole host of illnesses, so although the patient may believe that they have a certain condition does not mean that it is actually what they have. This could lead them to take entirely the wrong medication, which means that the condition may not improve or could, in fact, get worse. Secondly, self diagnosis often leads people to source their medication online and without the correct prescription and a diagnosis which could be incorrect; this can lead them to unwittingly purchase counterfeit drugs.

There are many websites on the internet, which are posing as legitimate pharmacies, but are in actual fact supplying counterfeit medicines. Counterfeit medicines can be very difficult to spot, as they are often made to look as similar as possible to the real thing and in many cases the real ingredients can only be discovered in a laboratory. As a result of this, it is extremely important to make sure that the website that you are purchasing the medication from is a legitimate UK-based online drug store.

Counterfeit drugs are not regulated in the same way as legitimate medication. This means that imperfections can easily main undetected and side effects are not monitored or noted. This also makes it impossible for the counterfeit drugs to be recalled. Counterfeit medicines can contain none of the active ingredients that make the medication effective, or may contain too much, which can lead to overdosing. In fact, these drugs may contain the wrong ingredients altogether, as well as possibly containing undeclared ingredients (ingredients which are not listed on the box). Some of the ingredients included within counterfeit medicines could also be unhygienic (e.g. brick dust) or toxic (e.g. rat poison). In some cases consumers have even received entirely the wrong medication, labelled up as the medication that they asked for, leading them to become hospitalised. In some cases, the counterfeit drugs can even lead to death.

There are some simple and straightforward ways to help spot an unsafe website which is selling medication. If the drugs displayed on the website are of unknown quality and origin then they are not likely to be genuine. If the website is suggesting that you take the wrong type of drug for your illness or is offering drugs which require a prescription, without asking you for proof of the prescription then it is likely to be unsafe. Unsafe websites are also unlikely to provide a contact telephone number and prices may appear to be drastically lower than on competitors’ websites. These websites are also unlikely to protect consumers contact and payment information, leaving them open to fraud. Email spam trying to sell medicines also lead to these types of websites, it is advisable not to attempt to purchase any medicines that have been advertised to you via email by an unknown sender.

This is not to say that it is never safe to buy medication online, however. There are many legitimate UK online pharmacies which are properly regulated and will be able to sell medication safely, securely and legally. Legitimate UK-based online pharmacies will have a registered pharmacy number provided by the General Pharmacy Council, which should be displayed on the website and can be checked at pharmacyregulation.org. Each legitimate online chemist will also have a pharmacist on site, who you will be able to contact and who will also have a registered pharmacist number which can also be checked on the General Pharmaceutical Council website. It should also be easy to contact these companies by phone, so that you can speak to someone and have any of the questions that you may have answered. If the site is legitimate then they will always ask to see the original prescription before sending out prescription only medicines. They will normally require the prescription to be sent to them in the post, so that it can be checked before the medication is dispatched.

Online pharmacies can be especially useful for those who have a sensitive condition and do not feel comfortable meeting with someone face to face. For example, Chlamydia tests can now be bought online and the treatment, if needed, can then be purchased from an online chemist, after a quick chat with their registered pharmacist. The medication will then be sent direct to your door, in discreet packaging, removing any unnecessary embarrassment.

It is always advisable to get any health concerns checked out by a doctor, or to speak to a pharmacist about them, as they will be able to provide the correct drugs for the condition. Any side effects from medication or are concerns that may not be genuine, should be reported to a pharmacist or doctor immediately. More information about the medication can be found in the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) that accompanies the medication, which should always be read before taking any medicine. It is a requirement of UK and EU law that medicines contain a PIL.

Re-Publish this Article

<h1>Things to be considered when buying drugs from an online pharmacy</h1> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_Chemist.aspx'>Chemist</a> Many people are now turning to the internet to buy their medication, as it is seen as a more convenient, quicker and often cheaper alternative than going to the doctor or chemist. It can also be an easy way to avoid the embarrassment of having to speak to someone face to face about personal issues. However, there are a range of factors that need to be considered in order to make sure that you are receiving the correct medication and that it is safe for you to take.

With the availability of information about illnesses on the internet continuing to grow, self diagnosis is becoming more and more common. This growth in self diagnosis has led to many people then seeking the cure for their perceived illnesses online as well. This poses several issues for the patient. Firstly, different symptoms can be attributed to a whole host of illnesses, so although the patient may believe that they have a certain condition does not mean that it is actually what they have. This could lead them to take entirely the wrong medication, which means that the condition may not improve or could, in fact, get worse. Secondly, self diagnosis often leads people to source their medication online and without the correct prescription and a diagnosis which could be incorrect; this can lead them to unwittingly purchase counterfeit drugs.

There are many websites on the internet, which are posing as legitimate pharmacies, but are in actual fact supplying counterfeit medicines. Counterfeit medicines can be very difficult to spot, as they are often made to look as similar as possible to the real thing and in many cases the real ingredients can only be discovered in a laboratory. As a result of this, it is extremely important to make sure that the website that you are purchasing the medication from is a legitimate UK-based online drug store.

Counterfeit drugs are not regulated in the same way as legitimate medication. This means that imperfections can easily main undetected and side effects are not monitored or noted. This also makes it impossible for the counterfeit drugs to be recalled. Counterfeit medicines can contain none of the active ingredients that make the medication effective, or may contain too much, which can lead to overdosing. In fact, these drugs may contain the wrong ingredients altogether, as well as possibly containing undeclared ingredients (ingredients which are not listed on the box). Some of the ingredients included within counterfeit medicines could also be unhygienic (e.g. brick dust) or toxic (e.g. rat poison). In some cases consumers have even received entirely the wrong medication, labelled up as the medication that they asked for, leading them to become hospitalised. In some cases, the counterfeit drugs can even lead to death.

There are some simple and straightforward ways to help spot an unsafe website which is selling medication. If the drugs displayed on the website are of unknown quality and origin then they are not likely to be genuine. If the website is suggesting that you take the wrong type of drug for your illness or is offering drugs which require a prescription, without asking you for proof of the prescription then it is likely to be unsafe. Unsafe websites are also unlikely to provide a contact telephone number and prices may appear to be drastically lower than on competitors’ websites. These websites are also unlikely to protect consumers contact and payment information, leaving them open to fraud. Email spam trying to sell medicines also lead to these types of websites, it is advisable not to attempt to purchase any medicines that have been advertised to you via email by an unknown sender.

This is not to say that it is never safe to buy medication online, however. There are many legitimate UK online pharmacies which are properly regulated and will be able to sell medication safely, securely and legally. Legitimate UK-based online pharmacies will have a registered pharmacy number provided by the General Pharmacy Council, which should be displayed on the website and can be checked at pharmacyregulation.org. Each legitimate online chemist will also have a pharmacist on site, who you will be able to contact and who will also have a registered pharmacist number which can also be checked on the General Pharmaceutical Council website. It should also be easy to contact these companies by phone, so that you can speak to someone and have any of the questions that you may have answered. If the site is legitimate then they will always ask to see the original prescription before sending out prescription only medicines. They will normally require the prescription to be sent to them in the post, so that it can be checked before the medication is dispatched.

Online pharmacies can be especially useful for those who have a sensitive condition and do not feel comfortable meeting with someone face to face. For example, Chlamydia tests can now be bought online and the treatment, if needed, can then be purchased from an online chemist, after a quick chat with their registered pharmacist. The medication will then be sent direct to your door, in discreet packaging, removing any unnecessary embarrassment.

It is always advisable to get any health concerns checked out by a doctor, or to speak to a pharmacist about them, as they will be able to provide the correct drugs for the condition. Any side effects from medication or are concerns that may not be genuine, should be reported to a pharmacist or doctor immediately. More information about the medication can be found in the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) that accompanies the medication, which should always be read before taking any medicine. It is a requirement of UK and EU law that medicines contain a PIL. About the Author: It is important when buying drugs online to make sure that the <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.chemist.net/" target="_blank">online pharmacy</a> that the medication is being purchased from is based within the UK and is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. This means that the medicine provided will be delivered safely and securely and will be of good quality, safe to take and regulated by UK laws and practices. Article Source: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Things-to-be-considered-when-buying-drugs-from-an-online-pharmacy_123752.aspx'> http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Things to be considered when buying drugs from an online pharmacy_123752.aspx</a>

Article Source : http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Things to be considered when buying drugs from an online pharmacy_123752.aspx

Author Resource :
It is important when buying drugs online to make sure that the online pharmacy that the medication is being purchased from is based within the UK and is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. This means that the medicine provided will be delivered safely and securely and will be of good quality, safe to take and regulated by UK laws and practices.

Keywords : Online chemist, Online Pharmacy,

Category : Health and Fitness : Medicine

Print this Article Send to Friend