Canadian Online Pharmacy Drugs: Your Questions Answered

The US has a law that makes purchasing controlled substances abroad illegal. However, the regulation only includes pharmacies that provide these substances in face-to-face appointments. Online pharmacy drugs do not fall in this category. As a result, Canada has dozens of online pharmacies that sell prescription drugs to customers abroad, including those in the US. The FDA also works with the Canadian/US Border Control to check packages shipped from Canadian online pharmacies to the US to ensure that controlled substances are not being sent through without legal documentation.

The benefits of purchasing online pharmacy drugs from a Canadian pharmacy include:

• Cheaper drugs: In Canada, drug manufacturers sell drugs at a much lower rate than most other countries including the US where the cost for these drugs is among the highest in the world. Also, by purchasing pharmacy drugs online rather than from a bricks and mortar facility, you are saving the expenses related to frequent doctors’ visits. You are still required to have a prescription. However, if you learn you will need a regular prescription, you can choose to go to a doctor where the visits cost much less just to get the prescription instead of seeing your regular doctor who may cost much more per visit.
• Convenience: Purchasing drugs online means you can make your purchases in front of your computer, without having to find transportation to drop off/pick up a prescription. If you work full time, have children, use a wheelchair or have other issues making it more difficult to move about you will come to appreciate the convenience of using online pharmacies even more. You can make your purchases at any time day or night, even when the bricks and mortar pharmacies are closed. This is also convenient if you are filling a prescription on a holiday or weekend when most pharmacies are closed.
• Privacy: If you are filling a prescription for a medication that might be embarrassing to you such as for a sexually transmitted disease, birth control, or impotency, you will no longer have to speak to a pharmacist face-to-face when you pick up your prescription.
  If you have questions about your condition and the prescription, you can use email or chat rooms to consult a pharmacist rather than asking a potentially embarrassing question in person.

Buyer Beware: Facts to Consider Before Buying Online Pharmacy Drugs
Even though online Canadian pharmacies have several benefits, there are some very real concerns associated with using one of these services. For example:

• You have no idea whether or not the pharmacy is legitimate. Anyone can put up a storefront on the Internet and dole out prescription drugs. It is difficult to determine if an online Canadian pharmacy is legitimate
  without regulations in place.
• Some pharmacies online are also found to be selling expired drugs or drugs that are mislabeled. The dangers resulting from such behavior are many and could be fatal.
• Another concern for parents of children and those who abuse drugs is that people could buy controlled substances, such as painkillers, from Canadian pharmacies online without a prescription.

However, the FDA reports that in the US, there is no known arrest of anyone caught purchasing a prescription drug from an online Canadian pharmacy without a prescription for personal use.

If you are interested in using an online pharmacy to procure your prescription medication, the first thing to ask is whether or not they require a prescription. If they do not, it is not a company you want to do business with, as they are most likely working on the black market and could have any number of safety issues. The pharmacy must also have the seal of the Certified International Pharmacy Accreditation (CIPA) visible on their site to ensure they are certified and legitimate. Keep in mind that in some instances, websites may be forging this seal, so you should also verify that the seal is legitimate. To verify that a Canadian pharmacy is certified by CIPA, visit http://www.cipa.com/verify-pharmacy/ and type in the website address in question.