It used to be that you had to go to the doctor’s office and get an examination before they’d write you a prescription. With the invention of the Internet, all that has changed. People can now get their prescription medications at online pharmacies from doctors they never see. Most online sites are legitimate, but as a consumer, you need to be aware of those that are only in it for the money. How do you know if the online pharmacy you are doing business with is legitimate? Read on to find out the answer to that question.

A legitimate online pharmacy site requires confirmation from your doctor for any drug you request. You can e-mail or phone the pharmacist if you have any questions and when you open an account, you must submit insurance and credit card information. Online sites that are questionable do business differently. Sites based in the United States will offer you a consultation with a doctor for a fee. This consultation most often involves answering questions on a questionnaire about your medical history. As part of the questionnaire, you will promise to tell the truth, use the drug properly and will not hold anyone connected with the site liable if you have any complications. If the doctor passes you, the site will issue you a prescription to a pharmacist it uses. You will then receive an e-mail message confirming your order. Overseas sites are much more lax. You usually don’t have to answer any questions. You just type in the name and quantity of the drug you want and submit your credit card information and address. However, because overseas doctors aren’t licensed to practice in the United States and overseas drugs haven’t been approved by the FDA, it is illegal to purchase drugs online from overseas.

When looking at a site, there are several items you should take into consideration. Does it have seals from the boards of pharmacies in the states where it does business? Is the site professional? Is information posted on how you can get personal customer service (actually talk to a person)? The best way to verify a site is to look for the seal from the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practices Site (VIPPS). This seal identifies that the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy has certified the pharmacists. To be verified by the VIPPS, a pharmacy must pledge to facilitate pharmacist-patient communication and institute safe storage and shipment for all drugs and orders. The pharmacy’s state licenses must also be confirmed and their facilities inspected.

Concerns regarding the usage of questionable online pharmacies include:

• A lack of accountability. If a site is not properly licensed, it probably won’t have information about where it is located or the qualifications and specialties of the prescribing doctors.
• The questionable quality of the drugs. You have no way of knowing if the drugs have expired, how they have been stored, how they have been shipped or if they could have been contaminated.
• A lack of instructions. When you fill a prescription at a legitimate pharmacy, you get instructions on how to take it and warnings as to the side effects and other drug interactions. When dealing with a questionable site, you may not get these or they may be the wrong ones.
• Privacy issues. There may be some sites that have no privacy policy. Once you give your personal information and credit card information, there is no way of telling what happens to it or if it is really kept private.

To ensure an online pharmacy is legitimate, look for:

• The Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) seal.
• Information regarding its location and a customer service phone number for problems.
• The availability of a licensed pharmacist who can answer questions.
• Lack of advertising promising a miracle cure or a new cure.

It is estimated that the annual sales of online prescription drugs will increase from $23 million to almost $1 billion. The convenience and privacy of online prescription buying is believed to be the reason for the increase. While there are government organizations that are trying to protect consumers, it is ultimately the consumer’s responsibility to investigate something that sounds too good to be true. Be on the lookout.