Online pharmacies are apparently becoming a popular thing these days, and even though just the phrase “online pharmacy” sounds pretty questionable, a surprising number of people continue to use these websites. Why is it a good idea for you to stay away from these websites at all costs? Here are just a few simple reasons:
- First of all, there’s no way for patients to make sure that these pharmaceutical websites are selling approved drugs — and in fact, many websites aren’t. The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest estimates that about $75 billion worth of counterfeit drugs are sold each year globally, and it’s likely that a big percentage of this profit comes from online drug sales. Quite simply, there’s no way to make sure that an online pharmacy sells FDA-approved drugs, and these unapproved drugs can be very dangerous.
- So what do online pharmacies sell instead of approved prescriptions? There isn’t just one answer. Some of these drugs contain the wrong active ingredient, or contain the wrong amount of the ingredient. Many websites will send their customers the completely wrong medication or a placebo pill (either by mistake or on purpose), and taking a placebo can be just as harmful as taking the wrong medication.
- Finally, there are so many services that a local pharmacy can provide you that you won’t find with an online pharmacy. If you’re concerned about saving money or saving time, many small drugstores are starting to use retail pharmacy POS systems that have been designed specifically for pharmacy usage. These POS systems make transactions simpler and faster than ever before, and pharmacists are able to store your previous prescription information on a secure system so that they can provide personalized recommendations.
So if you’ve been thinking about using an online pharmaceutical site, keep in mind that there are many risks involved — and these risks are simply too big to ignore. All of the convenience and savings that these websites claim to have? We’re pretty sure that your local pharmacy has it all, too. Helpful sites: Pharmacy point of sale
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