WARNING!  Buying Medical Drugs Online?

This article is based off of the FDA's website.

The Internet has changed the way we live, work and shop. The growth of the Internet has made it possible to compare prices and buy products without ever leaving home. But when it come to buying medicine online, it is important to be very careful. Some websites sell medicine that may not be safe to use and could put your pet's health at risk.

Some websites that sell medicine:
*Are not U.S. state-licensed pharmacies or are not pharmacies at all
*May give a diagnosis that is not correct and sell medicine that is not right for you or your condition
*Will not protect your personal information

Some medicines sold online:
*Are fake (counterfeit or "copycat" medicines)
*Are too strong or too weak
*Have dangerous ingredients
*Have expired (are out-of-date)
*Are not FDA-approved (have not been checked for safety and effectiveness)
*Are not made using safe standards
*Are not safe to use with other medicine or products you use
*Are not labeled, stored, or shipped correctly

These TIPS will help protect you if you buy medicines online:
KNOW YOUR SOURCE to make sure it's safe

Make sure a website is a state-licensed pharmacy that is located in the United States. Pharmacies and pharmacists in the United States are licensed by a state's board of pharmacy. Your state board of pharmacy can tell you if a website is a state-licensed pharmacy, is in good standing, and is located in the United States. Find a list of state boards of pharmacy on the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) website at www.nabp.info.

The NABP is a professional association of the state boards of pharmacy. It has a program to help you find some of the pharmacies that are licensed to sell medicine on line. Internet websites that display the seal of this program have been checked to make sure they meet state and federal rules. For more on this program and a list of pharmacies that display the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites Seal, (VIPPS Seal), go to www.vipps.info.

Look for websites with practices that protect you

A safe website should:
*Be located in the United States and licensed by the state board of pharmacy where the website is operating (check www.nabp.com for a list of state boards of pharmacy)
*Have a licensed pharmacists to answer your questions
*Require a prescription from your doctor or other health care professional who is licensed in the United States to write prescriptions for medicine
*Have a way for you to talk to a person if you have problems