Even if you’ve heard of online pharmacies before, you might not be familiar with what actually goes on with these businesses — and the reality of the situation is a little scarier than most people expect. Before you shop at an online pharmacy — or before you shop at one again — take a look at why these companies are so dangerous, overpriced, and not worth your time:
- Without the traditional software to record data and without retail pharmacy POS systems to help organize and track sales trends, online pharmacies aren’t always the best when it comes to customer service. This type of POS system helps pharmacists understand the needs of their patients and customers, and they provide good advice based on the medical history of their patients. With an online pharmacy, you’ll be lucky just to get an email asking if you received your shipment.
- Actually receiving your items is another issue, even though the idea of medicine delivered right to your front door initially sounds like it’s pretty convenient. Unlike other industries, it’s not a great idea to use e-commerce sites for your medical and prescription drug needs, since there’s technically no guarantee that you’ll receive your items on time nor will you know for sure that no one tampered with your shipment while it was en route.
- Once you get your medications in the mail, you’re dealing with a whole new set of issues — and these ones can be pretty risky, to say the least. It’s estimated that at least 10% of all drugs sold online are counterfeit, which can mean a variety of things: you might be ordering a drug that isn’t FDA-approved or even legal in the country, the drug you receive might not have the active ingredient, or it might even have a harmful ingredient. It’s impossible to know what’s really inside of the medication you receive, which makes it especially dangerous. And when your health is on the line, you shouldn’t have to take these sorts of risks just to get the medication you need!
