Can You Trust Online Pharmacies for Prescription Drugs?

The wealth of medical and health related resources on the Web are sparking interest among continually growing numbers of people who what to be involved in their own healthcare. At last count, 80 percent of American internet users, or some 113 million adults, have searched for information on health topics (source: Pew Internet, 2006). Online they face hundreds of thousands of websites and thousands of merchants dedicated to healthcare on the web - some of which are legitimate sources and online stores and many that are not.

How concerned are Americans about the credibility of the health information they look up on the Web? Not at all, according to a recent JupiterResearch study. The JupiterResearch report, titled "US Online Health Consumer Survey, 2007: Understanding Search behaviour" states there is little evidence that trust issues are a barrier for online health-related activity or engagement as only three percent of online health users believe most health information found on the Internet is untrustworthy. This is quite stunning.

So what happens when consumers venture online with that same attitude towards buying prescriptions online? It's one thing looking up the wrong health information online, it's quite another when you buy prescription drugs on the Web. Consumers need to approach online pharmacies with a bug BUYER BEWARE attitude.

In 2005 Internet pharmacies accounted for 1% of sales - $349 million of the $251.8 Billion American prescription-medication market according to IMS Health. As prescription drugs costs increase, so does consumer interest in buying online. At the same time, the number of Internet pharmacies is growing too quickly for regulations to keep up. A large number of those new pharmacies are bogus, posing as real pharmacies but in reality selling illegal or downright dangerous concoctions.

Buying prescription drugs from an online pharmacy can be safe, though. Consumer just need to know where to look for online pharmacies and what online pharmacies to trust.

Finding trusted online pharmacies