At one time, owners of small, independent pharmacies only had to worry about competing with national chain stores; these days, more pharmacists are finding that their customers have begun turning to online pharmacies for their prescription medications without realizing that many online pharmacies are extremely dangerous.
Here are a few reasons why online pharmacies are more dangerous than they appear:
- First and foremost, the majority of prescription drugs sold online are not approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), and the “pharmacies” themselves aren’t regulated like normal pharmacies are. Although the FDA has made a big effort to catch many of these rogue pharmacies, others do manage to slip through the cracks.
- This means that it’s impossible to ensure you’re getting the correct prescription you order, and many times, online pharmacies send customers the incorrect drug (either by mistake or on purpose). This includes drugs lacking the active ingredients, drugs that have been recalled by the FDA, or drugs that contain harmful ingredients.
- A fundamental downfall of online pharmacies is that they usually don’t track patient information for the sole priority of keeping patients safe, unlike brick-and-mortar pharmacies. Your local stores probably have retail pharmacy POS systems which have been custom-designed with small stores in mind, and which have pharmacy software features that help pharmacists track previous orders and predict any possible drug interactions.
- Although online pharmacies claim that they have the same security features provided by conventional retail pharmacy software, like any other business that functions primarily online, it’s very easy for someone to steal your personal information when you order medications online — and not just your credit card number, but details about your medical status, too.
Remember, as convenient as online pharmacies may seem, it’s never a good idea to put convenience before your own personal health and safety. When it comes to prescription drugs, you owe it to yourself to know exactly what you’re buying, every single time. Helpful sites.
