The wealth of medical and health related resources on the Web are sparking interest among continually growing numbers of people who what to be involved in their own healthcare. At last count, 80 percent of American internet users, or some 113 million adults, have searched for information on health topics (source: Pew Internet, 2006). Online they face hundreds of thousands of websites and thousands of merchants dedicated to healthcare on the web – some of which are legitimate sources and online stores and many that are not.
How concerned are Americans about the credibility of the health information they look up on the Web? Not at all, according to a recent JupiterResearch study. The JupiterResearch report, titled “US Online Health Consumer Survey, 2007: Understanding Search behaviour” states there is little evidence that trust issues are a barrier for online health-related activity or engagement as only three percent of online health users believe most health information found on the Internet is untrustworthy. This is quite stunning.
So what happens when consumers venture online with that same attitude towards buying prescriptions online? It’s one thing looking up the wrong health information online, it’s quite another when you buy prescription drugs on the Web. Consumers need to approach online pharmacies with a bug BUYER BEWARE attitude.
In 2005 Internet pharmacies accounted for 1% of sales – $349 million of the $251.8 Billion American prescription-medication market according to IMS Health. As prescription drugs costs increase, so does consumer interest in buying online. At the same time, the number of Internet pharmacies is growing too quickly for regulations to keep up. A large number of those new pharmacies are bogus, posing as real pharmacies but in reality selling illegal or downright dangerous concoctions.
Buying prescription drugs from an online pharmacy can be safe, though. Consumer just need to know where to look for online pharmacies and what online pharmacies to trust.
Finding trusted online pharmacies
Let’s first look at searching for trusted online pharmacies. Here’s the challenge to those consumers that venture online. When it comes to product search consumers enter a different real from searching for health information, because merchants and small manufacturers use the “uncontrolled” channels. The major search engines, Google and Yahoo, and the large comparison shopping sites, such as shopping.com, shopzilla.com and thefind.com, among others, are geared towards collecting and organizing information. As they collect such vast quantities of information, they do not focus on checking that information – they simply can’t. So this means that both real and bogus online pharmacies will appear in searches done at these sites.
The challenge to a consumer shopping for health products online remain: how can you trust the products you buy online are the real thing? That is, where are the ingredients sourced from? How was the product handled during the manufacturing and distribution process? Is the online merchant legitimate?
There are some tell-tale signs, though, and here are our hints and tips for those of you searching for and buying prescription drugs online.
Searching for and finding trusted online pharmacies:
Only go to online sources that check and list trusted online pharmacies. Some of those include
– Consumer review sites, such as consumerreports.org or consumersearch.com
– Government sites
– Specialized search engines for health products, such as HealthPricer.com, Rxaminer,com or DestinationRx.com.
Buying prescription drugs online
Most bogus online pharmacies are interested in selling illegal versions of popular drugs. (This is just a general statement, so look out for all kinds of drugs sold illegally.) For example, let’s take Viagra. There is no such thing as generic Viagra and you need a prescription to buy the drug. Let’s visit www.shopping.com and search for Viagra – the first three “preferred items” search terms bring up generic Viagra from illegitimate pharmacies: http://www0.shopping.com/xPC-Generic_Viagra. Similarly, www.shopzilla.com, www.thefind.com and www.become.com to name a few other comparison shopping sites display generic Viagra from similar illegitimate sources.
The sale of generic Viagra in the US is against the law and none of these sites ask for a doctor’s prescription, nor do they display a pharmacy license number – they are clearly bogus sites. The FDA publishes sites that sell illegal drugs on a monthly basis. So if you are every unsure about an online pharmacy, check with them or simply look for another online pharmacy.
The general rule of thumb in buying prescription drugs online is make sure your online pharmacy experience reflects that which you would experience at a local pharmacy. This means:
1. The online pharmacy clearly displays its pharmacy license number and information and is represented by real pharmacists. They should include a tel number for you to call them if you have any questions.
2. They take the time to learn about you – ask for your doctor’s information, ask for your prescription, ensure that you truly need the medication.
3. They provide a secure site to process your credit.
Shopping online for prescription drugs can be safe, as long as you check the online pharmacy you decide to buy from.
