Posted by on October 30, 2012 - 8:53am

Ninety seven percent of online pharmacies don't follow U.S. pharmacy laws. If you buy from one of these online pharmacies, you run a high risk of receiving counterfeit or substandard drugs. You also put your personal and financial information at risk.

Beware of an online pharmacy that shows these signs of being fake:

  • Allows you to buy drugs without a prescription from your doctor.
  • Offers deep discounts or cheap prices that seem too good to be true.
  • Sends spam or unsolicited email offering cheap drugs.
  • Is located outside of the United States.
  • Is not licensed in the United States.

Look for these signs of a safe online pharmacy:

  • Always requires a doctor's prescription.
  • Provides a physical address and telephone number in the United States.
  • Offers a pharmacist to answer your questions.
  • Has a license with your state board of pharmacy. Check to see if it does.

Learn more about buying safely from the Food and Drug Administration's BeSafeRx campaign.