Are online pharmacies safe?

Getting refills of your prescriptions or picking up your medications at a pharmacy can be time consuming. This is especially true if you live in a rural area or lead a very busy lifestyle. In this case, online pharmacies may seem like an attractive option.

Legitimate online pharmacies are safe and regulated. But it can be difficult to determine if specific sites are actually safe or if they’re illegal, unregulated sites.

There are ways you can verify if an online pharmacy is safe, including search tools. You can also speak with a healthcare professional for advice.

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Benefits of online pharmacies

While there are certain risks associated with illegal online pharmacies, legitimate ones may have real benefits.

• Convenience: Online pharmacies can save you time and effort. If you live far away from pharmacies, it will likely be more convenient for you to order your prescriptions from the comfort of your own home.
• Cost saving: Illegitimate online pharmacies may offer deals that seem — and often are — too good to be true. But using legitimate online pharmacies may save you money, too. Certain sites may offer coupons and discounts. You can also compare prices across different pharmacies online to get the best deal.
• Confidentiality: While there’s no need to feel ashamed of any medical condition, some people may feel a bit embarrassed about picking up medication for sensitive conditions. Online pharmacies allow you to order medications without physically needing to speak to a pharmacist face-to-face.

How to tell which online pharmacies are safe

Legitimate online pharmacies are completely safe and legal to use. But it’s important to know how to identify which ones are safe and which aren’t.

Signs of a safe online pharmacy

If you want to ensure you’re using a safe online pharmacy in the United States, you can check their license through their state’s database using the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s online tool.

Another way to validate trustworthy online pharmacies is by using the search tool from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP).

Other signs that an online pharmacy is legitimate include:

• the pharmacies require a doctor’s prescription
• the websites clearly display a U.S. address and phone number
• they have a licensed pharmacist available if you have any questions

If they have a physical store in the United States, this is also a good sign, although not necessary for an online pharmacy.

Signs of an unsafe online pharmacy

You may notice that the pharmacy’s website doesn’t look legitimate. But many of them may look trustworthy at first glance. Some warning signs to look out for include:

• They don’t require a prescription.
• They’re not licensed in the United States.
• The medications you order look different than the ones from your usual pharmacy.
• Medications arrive with damaged or missing packaging.
• Medications arrive expired or with no listed expiration date.
• The websites offer high discounts.

If you have any doubts about medications you’ve ordered from an online pharmacy, don’t take them and dispose of them safely. If you’ve come across an illegal online pharmacy, report it to the FDA.

Is Optum Perks a safe online pharmacy?

Optum Perks now offers a home delivery service, which is slightly different from an online pharmacy — Optum Perks isn’t a pharmacy itself. But Optum Perks has partnered with a licensed prescription delivery service powered by trusted and accredited pharmacy partners.

Our trusted pharmacy fulfillment partner, HealthDyne, has procedures and processes to inspect every product it dispenses. All medications delivered are from an accredited and licensed pharmacy that follows all dispensing standards in the United States. So it’s a safe option to get your medications delivered to your home.

Safety concerns and risks of online pharmacies

While some online pharmacies are safe, this is not always the case. Many sites may be unregulated or even illegal. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 95% of websites selling prescription medications online are operating illegally.

Counterfeit medications

One of the biggest risks of illegal online pharmacies is that the medications they prescribe are often counterfeit. This means that the medications may not be what they say they are.

Not only does this mean these medications might not effectively treat your condition, but they also might contain dangerous ingredients. For example, counterfeit drugs often contain fentanyl, a very strong opioid pain medication, which could put you at risk of an overdose.

According to some 2022 research, many drugs bought from online pharmacies failed quality testing. Some of the medications were labeled incorrectly. And 84% lacked information leaflets inside the packaging or had no packaging at all. Many didn’t state expiry dates or batch numbers.

These issues are serious as they raise your risk of consuming expired medication. With no information leaflet, you may not know about possible side effects or medication interactions. All of this can lead to serious health consequences for consumers.

Lack of proper prescriptions

Many online pharmacies don’t require valid prescriptions. Some may ask you to email or fax a prescription. This means that consumers may access prescription drugs they don’t need. Or they may get more of a drug than a doctor would prescribe. This can lead to overdose or other complications.

Some online pharmacies ask you to fill in a questionnaire. But this may just be a tactic to make the consumer feel more comfortable ordering from the site. An online questionnaire isn’t a replacement for a prescription from a doctor.

Fraud

Alongside being dangerous to purchase from, illegal online pharmacies may also put your security at risk.

As per the 2022 review, these pharmacies have a high risk of misusing your personal data. And they may not even deliver the products. Because they’re unregulated, you won’t have much consumer protection if this happens, so you may not get a refund.

Unregulated online pharmacies are unlikely to be secure places to input your personal details and banking information. This could put you at risk of fraud or identity theft.

Summary

Legitimate, licensed online pharmacies are safe to use and may offer many benefits, including convenience and cost savings. But many online pharmacies are operating illegally.

You can use the FDA website to check if an online pharmacy is licensed in your state. Safe pharmacies will also require a doctor’s prescription and will generally have a pharmacist available to answer any questions.

Ordering medications from illegal online pharmacies can be dangerous. If you have any doubts, speak with a healthcare professional in person. Do not take any medications that you’re not sure about.

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