How to Protect Yourself from Dangerous Online Pharmacies

In this economy saving money on the cost of medications is a big deal to thousands of Americans. One way people try to save money is by purchasing their medicine through on-line pharmacies. Although there are reputable ones there are many dangerous online pharmacies as well that aren’t approved by the FDA to distribute drugs. Buying from fake online pharmacies can be dangerous, or even deadly. Before you order medicine online, it is important to know the risks of buying from fake online pharmacies.

Inadequate or even fake drugs

The medicine received might look exactly like what a consumer would typically pick up at the local pharmacy but the drugs could be all together fake, expired, or even contain other types of medication. This could make patients sicker or keep them from getting better altogether and in some cases have proven deadly.

Slight differences can make huge differences

Medications approved in other countries and not by the FDA may have different ingredients that may cause harmful reactions or cause patients to develop a resistance to normal drugs. Medicine that is approved for use in the United States has been reviewed for safety and effectiveness by the FDA.

How to Avoid Fake Pharmacies

Know the signs of a fake pharmacies, courtesy of the FDA
•Allow you to buy drugs without a prescription from your doctor
•Offer deep discounts or cheap prices that seem too good to be true
•Send spam or unsolicited email offering cheap drugs
•Are located outside of the United States
•Are not licensed in the United States

The lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis, Appleton and Favaloro are familiar not only with dangerous drugs sold via these fake pharmacies but also dangerous drugs approved by the FDA and prescribed by doctors. One such medication, the fentanyl pain patch (Duragesic), has caused hundreds of people to accidently overdose. But despite the steady flow of wrongful death lawsuits and personal injury lawsuits, the manufacturer of fentanyl stands by their product and doesn’t believe that changes should be made to the medication or the medication’s warnings.

CT