It is arguable whether or not medicine has been one of the
fields that have been quickest to embrace new technologies. It is difficult to
say that medicine hasn't benefited from the association, though. Nowadays, with
a credit card and the right information, anyone can order medications ranging
from birth control patches to pain medications online. The Internet has made
obtaining drugs such as antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and pain
medications online a relatively simple, painless process. However, on the
Internet more than any place in the world, the words “caveat emptor” apply. As
the Food and Drug Administration has warned in the past, there are many ways
that an Internet-based pharmacy can bypass various regulations set in place for
consumer protection.
One problem that is still relatively widespread among
Internet-based pharmacies is the lack of a system in place to check for
prescriptions. While this can make purchasing things like pain medications
online much simpler, they present other problems. If there is no way to
counter-check a prescription against the details of the order, an online
pharmacy can easily make a mistake and send the right medication in the wrong
doses. This can be a major problem if the condition requires a very specific,
controlled amount to be introduced into the patient's body. Another problem is
that if just anyone can order them, then it is possible that orders are being
placed not by patients who need them, but by people who have developed an
addiction for certain drugs. Pain killers and some antidepressants are among
the many medications sold online that can be habit-forming.
Another problem lies in the possibility of the site being a
well-designed fraud. There have been a few incidents that have come to the
attention of the FDA where an online pharmacy sent drugs that were generic,
instead of the prescriptions ones the customer ordered. While the two were
chemically no different from one another, the generic ones were significantly
lower in market price. The websites were reported to have charged consumers the
price of the brand-name prescription drug, rather than the price of the generic
medications delivered. On rare occasions, there have also been reports of
small-time online pharmacies offering cheap prices even on brand-name drugs,
but the medications are foreign in origin and have not been tested thoroughly
for public health and potential side effects.
Delivery problems are also a cause of concern. Most of the
better online pharmacies have systems in place that allow consumers to keep
track of the delivery progress of their orders. Others provide their customers
with the tracking information needed, such as the tracking number and the
carrier. However, some of the more disreputable sites don't provide this
information, leaving the customers guessing on where their orders went. In more
extreme cases, there is no contact information on the online pharmacy, so the customer
has no way of asking anyone for help in tracking down orders or having it
shipped out again if the initial order was lost in transit.
Disclaimer:
This article is presented solely as an example and is not meant to replace medical
treatment. If you or someone you know require help, seek qualified medical
assistance. No content on this site should ever be used as a substitute for
direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinicians.
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