Online shopping can be a great thing — with all the security features that exist today, not only is online shopping convenient, but it’s also quite safe. In all of the security breaches of major chain stores’ POS systems, most breaches didn’t affect online shoppers at all. It would be understandable if you thought that purchasing medications from professional online pharmacies is equally as safe — but it’s definitely not. Here are just a few reasons why these pharmacies are actually incredibly dangerous:
- There are a few online pharmacies that are legitimate, but the problem is that the FDA has a hard time regulating the drugs sold through online pharmacies. Many of the drugs sold, in fact, aren’t technically approved by the FDA at all. Simply because of the nature of online pharmacies, it’s difficult to ensure that every submitted prescription is legitimate, and that every medication sent out is exactly what was ordered.
- When you receive medications from online pharmacies, there are a variety of incorrect drugs that you could be receiving instead of the correct one. Many pharmacies send out placebo pills, which contain no active ingredients at all; others send out prescriptions with the incorrect active ingredients, or with the wrong amounts of the active ingredients (usually too little is used). In any case, taking a medication that isn’t what you should be taking can be extremely dangerous. Even a simple health condition that is easily solved with low-risk prescriptions can quickly turn into a big problem if you accidentally take the wrong drugs.
- Sometimes, a legitimate online pharmacy will send the wrong medication by accident — brick-and-mortar pharmacies can make a mistake like this too, but when you pick up the prescription in person and the pharmacist double-checks the order with you, it’s more likely that these mistakes will be caught before it’s too late. Many modern retail pharmacy software systems are able to keep track of patients’ prescription histories, and these systems help pharmacists stay aware of possible allergies or drug interactions.
In conclusion, if you’ve taken note of these risks and you’re still considering ordering medication online simply because it’s more convenient, keep in mind that even small pharmacies these days are beginning to upgrade to better pharmacy software; these high-tech pharmacy POS systems can accept coupons, keep track of customer loyalty programs, and make transactions faster and easier than ever. Learn more at this link.