Recently, many people have found it hard to find prescription drugs at a convenient price. Luckily, online pharmacies are now thriving, and many people have started purchasing all their medicines online. Although online pharmacies are convenient and less expensive, you could be putting yourself and your family’s health at risk. Some online pharmacies are safe, but others are operating illegally and could be part of a scam while many are selling medications that aren’t approved. It can be a bit tricky to know which pharmacies are reliable and safe, and which are illegal and untrustworthy. To protect yourself against this risk, you should know how to pick the right online pharmacy. Here’s how you can do that.

Check with Your Health Insurance 

One way to check an online pharmacy is by checking with your health insurance plan. If your health insurance covers prescription drugs, you can check their list of approved online pharmacies. The health insurance company approves only the legitimate pharmacies and ensures that it’s safe to order from them. Insurance companies are very strict about the pharmacies they add to their list. However, if you have found some online pharmacies that aren’t approved by your health insurance, it doesn’t mean that it’s not safe to order from them. It only means that your insurance company doesn’t deal with this pharmacy.

Refer Back to the Country’s Pharmacy Association

Some people prefer ordering medications from other countries, often from Canada. That’s because Canadian pharmacies are usually cheaper and verifiable. However, if you’re ordering prescription drugs from an online pharmacy located in a different country, you should ensure that it’s approved by the country’s pharmacy association. For example, Canadian online pharmacies are approved by the CIPA. You can easily check the certificate on the pharmacy’s website. If you’re not able to find it, then most probably that pharmacy is illegal. You can also check CIPA’s list of approved online pharmacies and choose any of them that has worldwide shipping.

Compare Prices 

Yes, online pharmacies are often cheaper, and we all want to save money when it comes to expensive prescription drugs. However, if the prices are too low, then it’s a red flag. If an online pharmacy offers extremely low prices, the medication is probably not approved, or it could be expired. Say, you are looking to quit smoking and you were prescribed Chantix, for example, but you found a huge difference in its price between your local pharmacy and the online one you chose. In this case, you can find better options by checking a verified site that lists the medication’s price in verified online pharmacies in Canada and all over the world. As a general rule, it’s best to purchase your medications at their regular prices.

Look for Details on the Drug and Manufacturer 

Some people choose online pharmacies because of the availability of information that can be found. You can find out everything you need to know about your condition, including detailed information about the different treatment options medications available. If you’re looking for a certain medication, you’ll be able to find its possible side effects, recommended doses, and the manufacturer’s details. If you’re not able to easily access this information through an online pharmacy, it’s better not to purchase from it.

Do They Have  Licensed Pharmacists? 

A legitimate online pharmacy will allow you to talk to a licensed pharmacist and ask any questions you want. You can ask them about your symptoms, condition, or a certain medication. However, if the site doesn’t offer this service, you shouldn’t order from them 

Read the Privacy Policy 

Recent studies found that people are more comfortable talking to a pharmacist online than in person, as it allows you to ask whatever you want without feeling embarrassed. That’s why online pharmacies have a privacy policy that protects your personal information. So, before you place your order, read the privacy policy of this website, and ensure that the site will not share any of your details without your permission.

Do They Require Prescription Validation?

Any legitimate pharmacy will ask for your prescription and will validate it before you buy it. The same applies to online pharmacies, if they didn’t ask for your prescription before you check out, it’s an illegal website. Selling or buying prescription drugs without validating the prescription is against the law.

Ensure That the Website Is Secured 

The website should be secured and there should be a lock beside the site’s URL. It’s a general rule when purchasing online because this ensures that your credit card details and personal info are safe

Check Online Reviews

Picking the right pharmacy can be a little overwhelming, but it’s important to ensure that it’s legitimate to avoid receiving the wrong medication and risking your own or your family’s well being. If you find an online pharmacy and want to double-check whether it’s reliable or not, you can check its reviews. Not the reviews on the pharmacy’s site, because they could be fake, but check on other websites and see what people are saying about this online pharmacy.

Ordering your medicine online can be risky, but if you take the time to do your research, then you can find a legitimate online pharmacy that will deliver the medication you need to your doorstep, without any hassle. At the end of the day, your best bet is to look for an online pharmacy that’s approved by your health insurance.