The average American spends around $1,200 per year filling their prescriptions. But if you have any chronic health conditions, you can expect to pay much more than that.
What’s a person to do if they need medicine to be healthy but can’t afford exuberant pharmacy costs? It may be time to buy prescription drugs online.
Online pharmacies have been around for a few years. But the legality lines have always been blurry.
Is it safe to buy medicine online? Is it legitimate medication, even?
Keep reading our handy guide to find out how to buy drugs online safely.
Is It Safe to Buy Prescription Drugs Online?
Yes, it can be very safe to buy your drugs online. The problem is that too good to be true claims, and promises of deep discounts are tempting.
The key to buy prescription drugs online legally is to do your research beforehand. You need to ensure the website you’re buying from is a legitimate pharmacy. There are more rogue pharmacies online than there are real ones, so be careful.
Legitimate online United States and Canada pharmacies will need proof of prescription.
Steer Clear of Rogue Pharmacies
Before buying medication online, you need to determine which are legal online pharmacies.
Here are some ways you can spot an illegal pharmacy:
- They provide illegal drugs or ones that aren’t FDA-approved
- They sell their drugs at discounted prices
- They don’t have a physical address or phone number
- They will sell you medication without a prescription
People are often tempted to order from rogue pharmacies because the prices are so low. We don’t recommend tempting fate as unregulated pharmacies pose many potential health risks.
There’s no way to guarantee you’re receiving the medication you’re ordering. Eighty-nine percent of these pharmacies don’t need proof that you have a prescription.
Their medication may have dangerous fillers like drywall, fentanyl, or rat poison. With no regulating body governing them, the manufacturers could put anything in their medicine.
Aside from the obvious health risks, these websites could expose your computer malware. They might even try to steal your identity.
Talk to Your Insurance Company First
Be sure to reach out to your insurance company before ordering medication online. They could have a database of online pharmacies they prefer you order from. They may not even cover your prescriptions ordered from rogue pharmacies.
Check LegitScript
If you can’t determine if an online pharmacy is legit or not, check them out on LegitScript.
LegitScript is a website that keeps a database of verified online pharmacies. You can feel safe ordering your medication from any of the options listed on their website.
Do Your Due Diligence
Saving a few dollars on your expensive prescription might seem worth the hassle. But do you want to risk receiving the wrong medication to treat your condition? Or getting something chock full of dangerous fillers?
Inspect the website before choosing to buy prescription drugs online. A few dollars of savings is not worth the health risks.
Check out our Health category for more tips on how to live a healthy lifestyle.