A new trend has begun appearing in the pharmaceutical industry, and it isn’t just a little bit bizarre — it’s actually pretty dangerous. Online pharmacies are becoming a “thing” these days, and they work exactly like you’d expect: a patient in need of a prescription medication simply orders the prescription online, and the company sends the medicine by mail to the patient’s house. Much like any other type of online shopping, ordering prescriptions online has become a popular trend because it seems more convenient than going to a store and waiting around for the prescription to be filled.
Some national companies allow patients to order prescriptions online, and these companies actually are safe. But secure and trustworthy online pharmacies are few and far between. More often, rogue businesses will take advantage of patient naivete; this is when online pharmacies become really dangerous. Specifically,
Many fraudulent online pharmacies send the wrong prescription (on purpose), or send prescriptions with the incorrect active ingredient. These companies could send customers anything from a placebo (harmless sugar pill) to a drug containing dangerous ingredients, and they can claim that they’ve sent the correct medication. Lots of customers don’t know what their pills are supposed to look like anyway, so they don’t notice any red flags when the fake pill looks weird.
Many drugs sold by online pharmacies are not FDA approved. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves every legal prescription before it’s distributed to patients, and it puts the drug through extensive testing to ensure safety and effectiveness. Because the FDA has very little control over the drugs sent out by online pharmacies, it won’t approve those drugs. Additionally, as new drugs are released, the FDA will be able to update potential drug interactions and side effects — this information is available to real-life health care professionals who have access to integrated pharmacy software, whereas online companies may not have that information.
Online pharmacies can’t offer personal consultations and professional advice to customers. Local pharmacies that use advanced retail pharmacy POS systems are often able to keep track of patient medication records and allergies, and this pharmacy software helps pharmacists detect and predict possible drug reactions.
If nothing else, these online pharmacies are particularly damaging to small businesses who are integral parts of their community. And it’s important to also remember, personal health should never be compromised for “convenience.” More info like this. Find out more at this site.
