You can save a substantial amount of money and hassle by buying medications online, especially if you have repeat prescriptions. But, as is the case with any online shopping experience, there’s the potential to fall victim to an online pharmacy scam if you’re not careful.
When you buy from a pharmacy online, you’re inputting sensitive personal and financial info. If this data falls into the wrong hands, you may end up getting your money—or even your identity—stolen.
The good news is that you can avoid getting scammed by knowing how to identify legit online pharmacies, and that’s what we’re covering in this article.
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Start By Checking for a Valid Pharmacy License
Before you even start shopping with an online pharmacy, Google the company name and check that it’s licensed by the authorities in your country (something that every legit pharmacy should be able to prove).
In the US, for example, you’ll want to check for NABP certification. Or, look for a pharmacy that has accreditation from organizations like the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy or, like www.hightownpharmacy.co.uk, which confirms it adheres to safety and legal standards. Before you order, make sure the pharmacy displays its license number. If this number is hard to verify, you’re best taking your search elsewhere.
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Look for Contact Information
Something else that any legit online pharmacy should have is clear contact details, including a phone number, physical address, and email. If this information doesn’t exist, ask yourself why. Could the pharmacy be located overseas country and the company wants to pretend that they’re based locally? Or is the company even registered at all?
Check the website for this info or Google the company name, which should show you the address in the search results. If you can’t find it, you could try to reach out to see if someone responds, but it’s easier to just look for a company that does have this information easily accessible.
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Make Sure The Pharmacy Asks For a Prescription
If a pharmacy doesn’t ask to see your prescription from a healthcare provider before it files your medication orders, that’s a big red flag.
A legit company should always check that you have a prescription, so an online pharmacy offering to sell prescription meds without asking for one might be a scam. Don’t choose these sites deliberately for their “convenience”—risking your health isn’t worth it for avoiding the hassle of getting your prescription renewed.
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Research The Company’s Online Reviews and Reputation
Reviews can tell you a whole lot about a company beyond the testimonials you’ll read on its website. If you want to know about how an online pharmacy treats its customers and learn of any suspicious behavior before you spend your money, take a couple of minutes to read reviews on platforms like Trustpilot first.
If you’re shopping with a legit pharmacy, you should find plenty of verified customer reviews on independent sites. Of course, some negative reviews should be taken with a pinch of salt, but if the bad reviews outweigh the good, you can’t find any reviews, or you’re only seeing overly positive ones that seem suspiciously generic, keep on looking.
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