Online Pharmacy NO Prescription

Legality and risks of purchasing drugs online depend on the specific kind of drug being purchased, as well as its amount.

* It is illegal to purchase controlled substances from an overseas pharmacy. Generally speaking, a person purchasing a controlled substance from such a pharmacy may be violating two federal laws which can carry stiff penalties. The act of importation of the drug from overseas violates 21 USC, Section 952 (up to 5 years in prison and $250,000 fine for importation of non-narcotic Schedule III, IV, or V drugs; possibly more for narcotics and Schedule I and II drugs). The act of simple possession of a controlled substance without a valid prescription violates 21 USC, Section 844 (up to 1 year in prison and $1,000 fine). Note that FDA does not recognize “online prescriptions”; in order for the prescription to be valid, there has to be a face-to-face relationship between the patient and the health care professional prescribing the drug. Sections 956 and 1301 provide exemptions for travellers who bring small quantities of controlled substances in or out of the country in person, but these exemptions do not cover delivery via a mail carrier.
* The act of importation of any prescription drug (not necessarily a controlled substance) violates 21 USC, Section 301(aa), unless the following conditions are met (as listed in Section 804):
1. The drug is imported from Canada, from a seller registered with the Secretary (i.e. with FDA);
2. The drug is imported from a licensed pharmacy for personal use by an individual, not for resale, in quantities that do not exceed a 90-day supply;
3. The drug is accompanied by a copy of a valid prescription;
4. The drug is a prescription drug approved by the Secretary;
5. The drug is in the form of a final finished dosage that was manufactured in an establishment registered under section 510; and
6. The drug is imported under such other conditions as the Secretary determines to be necessary to ensure public safety.
* The law further specifies that enforcement should be focused on cases in which the importation by an individual poses a significant threat to public health, and discretion should be exercised to permit individuals to make such importations in circumstances in which the prescription drug or device imported does not appear to present an unreasonable risk to the individual.
* According to Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, Section 535, Customs and Border Patrol are not allowed to prevent people from importing FDA-approved prescription drugs. Although originally the law was worded to cover all prescription drugs, countries of origin, and methods of delivery, its final edition specifies that it only applies to importation from Canada, and to “…individuals transporting on their person a personal-use quantity of the prescription drug, not to exceed a 90-day supply”. Controlled substances are also explicitly excluded. Therefore, it does not disallow Customs to screen and intercept drugs sent by mail.
* It is also technically illegal to import non-approved drugs (21 USC sections 331(d) and 355(a)); however, FDA policies suggest that, under certain circumstances, the patients may be allowed to keep these drugs.
* Individual U.S. states may implement their own laws regulating importation, possession, and trafficking in prescription drugs and/or controlled substances.

[edit] Enforcement

Laws listed in the previous section are not always enforced (or otherwise all online pharmacies would quickly run out of customers and go bankrupt). Among other reasons, strict drug law enforcement is politically unpopular because many customers of online pharmacies are seniors who can’t afford to buy their prescription drugs in the United States.

* Any package containing prescription drugs may, in principle, be seized by customs. The package may be held until the addressee provides proof that he is allowed to receive these drugs (e.g. a valid prescription), and eventually returned to the sender if the addressee does not respond. (Sample package detention notification letter) In practice, the number of packages containing prescription drugs sent to United States on a daily basis far exceeds customs’ capabilities to inspect them. In the past, packages often passed through customs even if they weren’t sent from Canada or otherwise didn’t meet the requirements of section 804 of 21 USC. Up until recently, about 5% of all prescription drug packages sent from Canada were being seized.
* At the present time, US customs do not seize packages from Canada.
* DEA and FDA generally do not target consumers unless drugs are imported in large quantities (suggesting intent to distribute) or represent danger to public health (opiates, amphetamines). However, this may change at any time.
* Sometimes drug importation laws are enforced on the local level. For example, in June 2005 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a number of customers of online pharmacies were arrested by local law enforcement officers and charged with possession of a controlled substance without prescription.

Online pharmacies offer the benefits of convenience, privacy and, often, cheaper prices.

However, it’s important to be cautious when buying your prescription meds from an online pharmacy. Many online pharmacies that appear reputable and similar to legitimate retail pharmacy websites actually sell fake pills that do not contain the medicine approved by the FDA, have doses that are too strong or too weak, contain dangerous ingredients, aren’t manufactured using safe standards, or aren’t labeled, packaged or shipped properly.

Here’s how to check that your online pharmacy is trustworthy — and will deliver you the FDA-approved prescription meds in the correct dosages.

First…. order and use only prescription medicines that have been prescribed by your physician or other licensed healthcare professional. This is the first vital line of defense to be sure you get the correct medicine at the proper dose.

Delivery of medicines from online pharmacies usually takes days or occasionally weeks. Therefore, prescriptions to treat emergency or urgent conditions such as an infection or pain from an injury should be ordered from your local drugstore so that you get immediate benefit from the meds your doctor prescribed.

For prescription medications that involve long-term care or on-going drug therapy, you can often obtain substantial savings by ordering online. Many online suppliers of prescription medicines offer a full range of discount meds for most non-emergency conditions.

Second…. identify three to five online pharmacies that carry the meds you want to order in the dose prescribed by your physician. You can do that by putting the terms “online pharmacy” or “online drugstore” into your favorite Internet search engine. You should ignore and discard any e-mail promotion you receive for prescription medicines, especially if the company and its location are not fully identified in the e-mail.

Third…. check on each online pharmacy you have selected for price, ordering policies, delivery methods, extra fees and corporate reputation. Caution: if the price for your medication at one online pharmacy is substantially lower than other online pharmacies, the pills are likely to be counterfeit (fake) and possibly unsafe.

How do assure yourself that an online pharmacy is reputable?

First, be sure the online pharmacy is a US pharmacy, licensed by the state board of pharmacy in the state where the company is located. To do that, go to the pharmacy’s website. Then find and click on the “Contact Us” or “About Us” link. (If there is no such link, the company is more than likely trying to hide its true identity and location.) Write down its address and phone number. Then go to the website of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. On the site is the contact information for the Board of Pharmacy in each state. Contact the Board of Pharmacy by phone or e-mail and ask if the pharmacy you selected is licensed in that state. Alternatively, you can check out the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites for a list of licensed pharmacies in each state. You should be aware, however, that many reputable online pharmacies are not included on that list.

Many of the legitimate online pharmacies are owned and managed by the major drugstore companies including Walgreens, CVS, Wal-Mart and Target. Their online sites often sell prescription meds at prices that are lower than the prices for the same prescription medications in their local drugstore. There are also many other online pharmacies that are very reputable and honest — and may offer even lower prices on prescription medicines and better service than the brand-name drugstore chains.

Finally, you might want to check the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to determine if warning letters have been issued to the online pharmacy you selected. And you might want to check out consumer complaint sites such as Better Business Bureau, Complaints.com, or Planet Feedback.

You might also seek out recommendations from trusted healthcare professionals.

Discard any pharmacies that are not US-based, licensed by the Pharmacy Board of its home state, or have a long list of consumer complaints. Only after making those checks should you contact an online pharmacy to order your prescription meds.

The first contact is best done by phone so that you can better assess the online pharmacy and its staff.

When you contact the pharmacy, you can do other tests to check legitimacy — and the pharmacy’s commitment to their customers.

* Do they request your prescription along with the name and contact information of the prescribing physician? Disreputable pharmacies often do not require prescriptions and doctor contact information.
* Does the company have a registered pharmacist available to discuss your medication with you when you call?
* Does the company website display a seal showing that it is a secure website? Do not provide credit card or personal information online unless the e-commerce website is secure.
* Does the company website promise not to sell or share your personal data with other marketers?
* Where is the worker you are talking to located? To verify, ask for the area code.
* Are there any additional fees over and above cost of medication and shipping?

In placing the order for your meds, you should get detailed information about shipping costs, methods and estimated day of arrival. Use expedited shipping if necessary and get a tracking number.

After you place the order, notify your doctor’s office that the online pharmacy will be calling to verify the prescription.

When your prescription meds arrive, check them against your existing prescription. Are they the exact same size, shape and color? Are the markings on the pills identical? If not, take both sets of pills to your doctor or pharmacist to be checked. And be careful not to mix the two prescriptions.