Do you know that by using online pharmacies, you can save a lot of money as you get lower prices on your medications? Online drug stores like Meds4Sure are the companies that sell pharmaceutical products, such as prescription-only drugs online. They can operate from anywhere in the world. In fact, it is one of the most widely used sources for getting cheap drugs in the U.S.
How It All Started
Today, there are over 5, 439 online pharmacies, and the number will continue to rise exponentially. This exponential rise in trend may be related to the increase in the price of medications, especially prescription drugs in countries like the US and Canada. Additionally, an increase in the number of the Internet users also contributes to this phenomenon. There are over 5,000 online pharmacies, but a high percentage of them are unregulated, or they operate in countries with lax regulations. This rising trend has a contribution to many health issues in so many countries. In fact, some online pharmacies do not ask for prescription notes before selling the drugs, and this has lead to an increase in drug abuse by citizens of various countries. What’s more? People are faced with the risk of death or sickness via the use of counterfeit and expired drugs sold by fraudulent online pharmacies. For us to clarify things, let’s take a look at the various types of online drug stores.
Types of Online Pharmacies
- Pharmacies with Traditional Prescription Requirement
Most online drugstores that are operating legally will usually require proof of a prescription from your physician before they will sell you the drugs. Their prices are lower than that of walk-in pharmacies. These online drug stores include neighborhood pharmacies in Australia, India, Canada, Israel, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the US. Other pharmacies in this category are the U.S. national chains, as well as large international and domestic mail-order fulfillment centers. These online drugstores sell all types of a prescription you will find in your neighborhood pharmacies. However, they do not sell controlled drugs internationally.
Online pharmacies in this category are usually affiliated with a pharmaceutical company or a popular pharmacy. There are fewer chances of getting counterfeit drugs in these types of pharmacies. That is because they are guided by the rules regulatory bodies. They are licensed, and they require top standards from the drug stores.
- Legitimate and International Online Pharmacies
These pharmacies are usually licensed by the home country from which they operate. They do not conform to international regulations. Mostly found in countries like India and Canada, they offer a far less cheap option than their counterparts in the United States. In fact, it is not surprising that the bulk of their customers are from the USA. This type of operation has created many worries for the U.S. drug regulatory agencies. Furthermore, online pharmacies in this category sometimes bypass the conventional method of asking for prescription notes from customers. Sometimes they require customers to fill a questionnaire before getting the drugs.
- Remote Consultation
E-Pharmacies offering remote consultation online are also known as “online consultation pharmacies,” “prescribing pharmacies” or “remote prescribing pharmacies.” They work with doctors who prescribe reviewing the patient’s medical history. However, some of these pharmacies are not following industry’s best practices. Unless you are buying lifestyle drugs that require no specialized consultation, it is advisable to patronize an online store that will ask for a proof of a prescription from your doctor. Online consultation may not be as effective as the one done by your physician with whom you have a doctor-patient relationship, and who has examined you physically.
- No Prescription Required Online Pharmacies (to be avoided)
These are the proverbial bad eggs in a basket of good ones. These are the primary reasons why the International Health bodies like WHO are trying to curb online pharmacies. An Illegal Online Pharmacy is a platform that will intentionally sell you fake and expired drugs or sometimes, sell you medications without the prescription from your doctor. Illegal online pharmacies do not require prescription notes, and might even offer bogus consultation from a doctor. These types of pharmacies operate behind a smokescreen that gives a lot of bonuses and incredulous offers. Besides, here’s a tip on how to detect rogue pharmacies.
- Illegal online pharmacies don’t require a prescription note.
- They do not publish any verifiable or useful contact information.
- Most of their medications are fake and sometimes expired.
- They do not have a licensed pharmacist dispensing the drugs.
- Your personal and financial information is not protected when you use these websites.
- They do not fill orders via legitimate pharmacies.
Benefits of Using Online Pharmacies
- The drugs are cheaper: As mentioned earlier, some of the drugs sold on online pharmacies, are 90 percent less than those sold in walk-in pharmacies. You can even do a price comparison online sites for example Meds4sure: AntiBiotics – CiproFloxacin Cephalexin Azithromycin Gabapentin to see the most affordable drug for you. Although there are chances of falling for scams, you can avoid it by following the guidelines above.
- It is convenient: Just like we love the idea of home deliveries of our favorite food, online pharmacies also provide us with the same luxury. What’s more? It is convenient for those who live in remote areas that are far from any walk-in pharmacy.
- Source of medical information: Online pharmacies provide information about different medical issues and new medications. That helps you to choose better drugs, consult with your physician about new medicines.
- More Privacy/Anonymity: Most people feel uncomfortable ordering their medication online like meds4sure, and this is usually due to the sensitive nature of some medical issues. However, your privacy or anonymity can become compromised when some online pharmacies use your information for unauthorized purposes. In fact, divulging your information to illegitimate online pharmacies is a recipe for disaster, as there’s the probability of a breach of privacy.
