Did you know that prescription medications in the US are 2.56 more expensive than their equivalents in other countries? The burden of paying for medication can be heavy for some people, especially if they take more than 1 type of medicine.

A great way to get around this is to buy medicine from online pharmacies, as the prices are much cheaper and more competitive. But unfortunately, not every online pharmacy is safe or reputable.

So how do you buy medicine online safely? Read on to find out what you should check for!

Prescription Requirement

One of the first things you should look for is whether or not the online pharmacy requires a prescription to order drugs.

If they don’t have such a requirement, then that’s a huge red flag. Considering that some prescription drugs have some heavy ingredients, a responsible and reputable online pharmacy will always require that a medical professional has prescribed them to you.

Pharmacist on Staff

Another thing you should look for is whether or not they have a pharmacist on staff. A reputable site will have one who you can reach through online chat, email, or even a phone call.

If not, this isn’t a good sign. This might mean that they don’t have any medical professionals on staff who can recognize if anything’s wrong with the medications they’re dispensing.

VIPPS Seal

All licensed online pharmacies will have a stamp of approval saying VIPPS, or “Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites”. This is an official seal from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP).

North American Address

Pretty much the only competitively-priced yet approved drugs you can get are either in the US or Canada. So do yourself a favor and check the business address of the pharmacy you’re looking at.

If it’s not located in North America, we’d highly advise you to look elsewhere. The prescription medications sold might be approved in other countries, but to different standards. In many cases, those standards aren’t as rigorous as those here in North America, which means you just might get subpar products.

Reasonable Prices

Yes, you can get some great prices if you purchase medicine online. But if they’re too low, you’ll want to be careful.

Quality prescription drugs will always cost a fair price. If you’re finding prices that are significantly lower than what you’re used to paying for, it might mean two things. Either the drugs aren’t approved by the FDA or they’re just placebos.

In both cases, it can be harmful to your health to take these drugs.

Buy Medicine Safely on the Internet With Our Help

If you buy medicine from online pharmacies, you can save yourself quite a bit of money. However, you’ll have to exercise some caution and do your research. Only then can you ensure that you’re getting the right medications and not placebos, or worse, medicines with toxic ingredients.

To learn more about online pharmacies, read the rest of our blog articles now.