Other LanguagesA recent study found that 85 percent of Web sites that sold prescription drugs directly to consumers didn’t require a doctor’s prescription. That’s frightening, especially when you consider the dangers of prescription drug abuse and fake pills.
The Attorney General’s Office has a new Prescription Drug Pricing site to help consumers choose affordable meds. It includes links to resources like the Washington Prescription Drug Program, which saves members an average of 43 percent ($25.34) per prescription.
For those who plan to shop online, the folks at GovGab, a blog maintained by the U.S. General Service Administration’s Office of Citizen Services and Communications, offer these tips:
- Check out the recommended pharmacies on the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy site.
- Don't buy from sites that sell prescription drugs without a prescription or that sell drugs not approved by the FDA. Read the FDA's guide.
- Only buy from sites that have a pharmacist available to answer your questions.
- Only shop sites based in the U.S. It’s against the law to buy prescription drugs from other countries. It may also be unsafe.
- Talk to your doctor or clinic before using any medicine for the first time.
- When you receive your medication, you might want to verify that it’s the right pill by searching for its image in the Drug Digest database.
Submitted by Holly Martinez on