Two things are very clear regarding trends in American culture today: first, it seems like everyone has been conditioned to do as much as possible in as little time as possible, thus making the idea of “waiting around” seem absolutely horrifying; and second, with over 75% of all medical treatments involving some sort of drug therapy, we rely heavily on prescription medications to keep our lives (relatively) stable and intact.
Taking both of these trends into consideration, it’s easy to see why so many Americans have begun using online pharmacies to order their prescriptions. After all, these “pharmacies” seem so much more convenient than any brick-and-mortar pharmacy or grocery store today. There’s no waiting around for a prescription to be filled, no waiting in line to pay, and no standing around in the aisle looking at 20 different kinds of cough medicines, wondering which one you should get, and not being able to find a pharmacist who can help you decide. Even better, with an online pharmacy order, customers can have their medications delivered right to their door in just a few days!
But there are a few reasons why online pharmacies are very dangerous; why they aren’t as convenient as they seem; why the risks of ordering a prescription drug online are much greater than the apparent benefits:
- The whole “delivering a medication right to your door in a few days” thing? Just like any other online purchase, there’s no way to ensure that your medication will arrive on time, when you need it, and without being damaged en route.
- Online pharmacies have been known to send out the wrong drugs, sometimes on accident and sometimes on purpose, and for this reason the FDA hasn’t approved many of the drugs sold. Due to the lack of regulation, it’s impossible to be sure that you’re getting the medication you need.
- Online pharmacies can’t give you personalized medical advice like your local pharmacy can. Real pharmacies use technology like digital retail pharmacy software and specially-designed retail pharmacy POS systems that can record your past prescriptions and securely track your past purchases. Additionally, these POS systems help pharmacists predict possible drug interactions and effectiveness.
So what do you think? Are online pharmacies really worth the risk? Any other dangers you can think of that might occur with these orders? Be sure to share your thoughts with us in the comments section! For more about this, go here. Refernce materials.
