Is it legal to buy prescriptions online?

“In 2017, nearly seven million Americans accessed care through telemedicine doctors, and that number is expected to grow exponentially.”

If certain requirements are met, buying prescription drugs online and getting them shipped via mail can be legal. These requirements range from those that you have to meet to those that the business from which your order must meet. Know the steps to make sure you buy a valid prescription from a legitimate online pharmacy.

1.  Online Prescribers

You have undoubtedly seen ads and received emails claiming that you do not need a prescription to buy a brand-name drug. It’s a big mistake to order from such a pharmacy. The most important requirement for buying a prescription online is that you have a real prescription to give to the pharmacy. Under U.S. federal law, every pharmacy must be able to prove that you, as the consumer, have a partnership with the physician who provides the medication in order to sell you a prescription drug. The pharmacy must require a prescription to be signed by your doctor. Some pharmacies online will tell you that their “doctor” in-house can write you a prescription without seeing you personally. This is a direct breach of the law because there is no reason for the “doctor” to make a diagnosis. Even a detailed questionnaire offered by some online pharmacies does not fulfill even the most basic diagnostic competency standards. It’s a con, in short.

2.  Doctors in telemedicine

That being said, telemedicine’s arrival is rapidly changing how we interpret the cycle of medical diagnosis. It has been inferred in the past that diagnoses can only be made through a patient’s physical examination. By conducting an “examination” on your laptop or Smartphone, doctors (many of whom are employed by health insurers) can make reasonable diagnoses with telemedicine. Like online “physicians” who are not qualified to practice electronic medicine, telemedicine doctors are board-certified professionals who are generally licensed by a government body. Medical practices have changed so dramatically that organizations such as the Federation of State Medical Boards endorse regulations that allow telemedicine doctors to write prescriptions as long as certain technical and medical criteria are met. That doesn’t say you should recommend something. Most doctors in telemedicine will not prescribe drugs that require an in-person examination, including Viagra and sleep aids.

Telemedicine doctors may write the most common types of prescriptions including:

  • Antibiotics
  • Anti-fungal
  • Allergy medicines
  • Oral contraceptive decongestant
  • Nasal sprays
  • High blood pressure medicines C
  • Cholesterol-lowering medicines

3.  Check whether you are purchasing legally.

  • Is the pharmacy asking for a prescription?

You must provide a bona fide, doctor-signed prescription, as mentioned above. It is not enough to have a survey.

  • Is the pharmacy licensed in its parent country?

Find the Board of Pharmacy for your state to determine its licensing. If it is not licensed there, or if you are unable to locate it, it may be offshore, located in another country.

  • Do they offer an opportunity to talk to a pharmacist on the phone?

Having a toll-free number is not enough; you need to be able to talk to a pharmacist. Do not buy a medication from an internet pharmacist unless you call the phone number and talk to the pharmacist, even if you have to pose a dumb query (what you consider).

The aim is to verify whether workers have a bona fide pharmacist. You can legally buy medications from an online pharmacy once you are certain that the store is genuine and you have a valid prescription from your physician.

4.  International online pharmacies.

Ordering prescription medications from any pharmacy outside the United States, like Canada, is prohibited for Americans. This is a rule enforced by the governing body of the U.S. The rule may be ignored and not followed under certain conditions.

The guidelines of the U.S. governing body for purchasing from overseas distributors state that a product may be sold to the U.S. if all three of the above conditions are met:

  • The medication is not yet licensed in the U.S. but recommended for a serious condition for which there is no home counterpart.
  • The imported amount is just a three-month supply.
  • The drug is being reported in the U.S. Customs with the medication and/or paperwork that is relevant.

Buying meds from an online Canadian pharmacy

“As the internet continues to grow in popularity, huge new opportunities arise when it comes to immediate access by health professionals to expert advice and information. Online Canadian pharmacies are very beneficial in this matter. Patients who need to seek advice on their symptoms or discuss possible side effects of the medication may receive assistance in a prompt and confidential manner.”

The online physician and pharmacist can provide professional advice, solve problems, treat and help with new medications and repeat them in an online pharmacy. Long-term disease patients may also benefit from an online Canadian pharmacy service, like those requiring multiple prescriptions may be given advice on dose and scheduling criteria for their medication.

Point to buy medication from a Canadian pharmacy.

Canada’s medication price is the second-highest in the world and 23 percent higher than the OECD average. Nonetheless, they were 72.71 percent lower on average compared to the U.S. rates. The US drug company is the largest in the world, so when searching for a way to reduce treatment costs, American people look north of the border. In the US, prices are regulated by the free market principle, which means prescription drugs, cost as much as consumers can pay. The policy plays a major role in the concept of drug prices in Canada.

Pros and cons of buying meds from a Canadian pharmacy

The pros of buying medications from Canada:

1.      It is more cost-effective than the US.

2.      It is as safe as purchasing pharmaceutical quality standards in the United States. Genuine medications from approved pharmacies are available.

3.      Prescription medications from an online pharmacy do not take a long time to get delivered.

4.      Up to 19 million Americans buy drugs from abroad online.  This does not, of course, extend to narcotics and other substances that pose an unacceptable threat.  Any effort to manufacture these will probably end up with the drugs being confiscated and the person who requested them to be punished, even for private use.

Cons of buying prescription meds from Canada

1.      The US authorities recognize that buying inexpensive drugs overseas provides the only means for up to 8 percent of Americans. They get proper healthcare that they wouldn’t otherwise afford. However, the point of view of the government bodies on this one is simple–importing drugs into the U.S. is unconstitutional.

2.      Not all internet retailers in the brand names or website URLs that have ‘ Canadian’ are registered in Canada.

3.      Although costs for drugs are much smaller in Canada than in the US, they are still higher than in the rest of the world.

How to understand that the pharmacy is from Canada?

There is a relatively easy way to verify whether a pharmacy is accredited in Canada and approved by the authority concerned.

1.      Look for the address or license number of the pharmaceutical on its webpage – either on the Contact Us page or on every line in the footer.

2.      Go to the web.

3.      Choose the pharmacy authority responsible for the jurisdiction in which the pharmacy is situated.

4.      Go to the Find a Pharmacy page and enter the search bar with the license number, part of the address of the pharmacy, or its ZIP code.

5.      Check the results – it’s legal if the pharmacy is in the search results.

Again, even registered and licensed online pharmacies in Canada do not necessarily fulfill the international orders themselves–this can be done by their partners abroad. Search for relevant information on the website of the company on the FAQ page or ask members of the support service about the source of the medication.

Ordering the meds from a Canadian pharmacy.

To order the drug from a Canadian online pharmacy to the USA, do the following:

1.      Get a prescription from a doctor in the United States.

2.      Choose a reliable online pharmacy – it is better to choose those that have been checked by Pharmacy Checker or similar services, or at least those that have a lot of positive and real-looking customer reviews.

3.      Shipment of the drug – note again that the maximum allowed is a 3-month supply.

4.      Give in the online form the prescription – e.g. as a check.

5.      Wait for the arrival of the shipment.

In case the customs want to test the order, note to have the prescription packed. The U.S. governing body has mentioned on several occasions that they do not take legal action against those who import prescription drugs for private consumption but investigate those who do so in order to resell the products further.

Read this before using an International pharmacy online

“According to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, certain international online pharmacies don’t comply with state and federal laws or patient safety standards.”

 

Online International pharmacies can be a tempting option, especially if you’re hoping for extra privacy or if you’re looking to save some money. But using them can have potential legal consequences and could jeopardize your health. Before buying prescription drugs from an online International pharmacy, here’s what you need to know.

Most people shop online for drugs out of a desire for privacy; they don’t want to talk to a doctor about the medications they need, for example. It may be daunting to have that discussion, but the alternatives could be worse — even deadly.

Online International pharmacies, especially non-U.S.-based pharmacies, often promise products without a prescription. This is a red flag. The drugs sold online are not always authentic, sometimes have no active ingredients, and can even contain harmful ingredients.

It is illegal to buy controlled substances without a prescription issued by a licensed doctor who has already tested you. All prescribed narcotic painkillers, sedatives, stimulants, and anabolic steroids are included.

Don’t buy drugs without a prescription from websites that sell them and promise to prescribe drugs to you. For any medications that you purchase, a legitimate online pharmacy will require a prescription.

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