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Online Purchase – Convenience with Caution
Added: (Thu Sep 07 2006)
Millions of consumers are using the internet to get health information. And thousands of Web sites are offering health information .One should be judicious when seeking medical attention on the net. For convenience sake caution should not be ignored.
The Internet makes it easy for unscrupulous people to sell drugs to patients without safeguards in place. A Website may appear to be associated with a legitimate pharmacy when in fact it is not. Websites that sell prescription drugs without a valid prescription deny consumers the protection provided by an examination conducted by a licensed practitioner.
The World Health Organization is in the process of developing a guide entitled "Medical Products and the Internet." In addition to providing tips on finding reliable health and medical information on the Internet, it will provide advice on buying medical products online. Patients who buy prescription drugs from Websites operating outside the law are at increased risk of suffering life-threatening adverse events, such as side effects from inappropriately prescribed medications, dangerous drug interactions, contaminated drugs, and impure or unknown ingredients found in unapproved drugs.
The following points need to be considered by consumers who buy health products online.
Don't buy from sites that offer to prescribe a prescription drug for the first time without a physical exam, sell a prescription drug without a prescription, or sell drugs not approved legally. Don't do business with sites that have no access to a registered pharmacist to answer questions.
• Avoid sites that do not identify with whom you are dealing.
• Look for easy-to-find and understand privacy and security policies. Don't provide any personally identifiable information (social security number, credit card, and health history) unless you are confident that the site will protect them. Make sure the site does not share your information with others without your permission.
• Beware of sites that advertise a "new cure" for a serious disorder or a quick cure-all for a wide range of ailments.
• Be careful of sites that use impressive-sounding terminology to disguise a lack of good science or those that claim the government, the medical profession, or research scientists have conspired to suppress a product.
• Steer clear of sites that include undocumented case histories claiming "amazing" results.
• Talk to your health-care professional before using any medications for the first time.
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Online Purchase – Convenience with Caution