“Being about a six-hour drive from the Canadian border, we do have patients who get medications from there, primarily because of the lower costs,” says Dr. Daikh. “Although I really don’t have evidence, I think someone physically going to Canada and buying from a licensed pharmacy is more likely to be purchasing from a reliable source.”
However, he does have “a lot of discomfort” when patients tell him they are getting their medications over the Internet or by mail.
The FDA recommends that physicians suggest to their patients that they buy only from pharmacies that are located in the U.S. and are licensed by the state board of pharmacy where the pharmacy is operating. The pharmacy should require a prescription from a physician or other appropriately licensed practitioner before sending the medications. Finally, it should provide contact information that allows the consumer to talk to a pharmacist if they have problems or questions. Additional information about buying prescription drugs over the Internet can be found online at www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/Buying MedicinesOvertheInternet/default.htm.
Kurt Ullman is a freelance writer based in Indiana.
References
- Department of Health and Human Services. Report on prescription drug importation. Published December 2004. Available at archive.hhs.gov/importtaskforce/Report1220.pdf. Accessed July 6, 2012.
- Drug Enforcement Administration. “Don’t Be Scammed By A Drug Abuser.” Published December 1999. Available at www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/brochures/drugabuser.htm. Accessed May 14, 2012.
