ShareThisBy HELEN MALANI
shopzilla.com
Monday, November 12, 2007
By now, anyone who reads my column knows I am a devoted fan of comparison shopping. Why? It arms us with the knowledge of what things should cost. And that, my friends, is how you know when you're scoring a great deal.
But when it comes to buying medication online, finding a great deal is not my priority -- my health is. I hope yours is, too. Sadly, some people have learned the hard way that certain areas of the Internet still have that Wild West element and should be approached with caution. Coroners determined that Marcia Bergeron of Quadra Island, British Columbia, died with high levels of aluminum in her liver. She had unknowingly ingested a highly toxic cocktail of metals. Investigators say that came from medication she ordered on the Internet. The coroner's investigation revealed the drugs contained uranium, strontium, selenium, aluminum, barium and boron.
The Food and Drug Administration continues to issue countless warnings about the dangers of counterfeit drugs sold on the Internet. The World Health Organization reports that up to 10 percent of all prescription drugs sold worldwide are counterfeit, and while that's a small percentage, it can mean the difference between life and death.
I want to assure you that buying medication on the Internet can be absolutely safe and legit. And here's how you can be positive.
SEEK SEALS --One surefire way to know the medication you're getting from the Internet is authentic is to buy it from a state-licensed pharmacy that carries the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites seal, or VIPPS for short. State-licensed pharmacies must adhere to government guidelines and will require a prescription. Avoid sites that don't require a doctor's prescription. Consider it a big red flag.
PHARMACISTS ARE YOUR FRIENDS --If you have any doubts as to whether your medication is what it's supposed to be, don't take it. Instead, bring it straight to your pharmacist. Let their trained eyes examine pills closely. Deviations can be microscopic or obvious to an expert. Oftentimes, pharmacists are able to spot telltale signs of imitation or authenticity, like a pill's size, thickness or embossing.
JUSTIFIABLE GENERICS --No one is saying you should pay through the nose for Internet medication. A worthy alternative to those pricey brand-name drugs is often the generic equivalents. According to the FDA, more than half of brand name drugs are now available as generics. Generics are approved by the FDA, and typically have the same active ingredients and effects of their brand-name counterparts (as low as 20 percent the cost of a brand name). Visit the FDA's Orange Book at www.fda.gov/cder/ob/ to find out whether your prescription drugs have a generic equivalent. And, of course, always check with your doctor to see if generics will work for your specific needs.
Feel better now? You should. Plenty of people do quite well with medications they purchase online, not to mention the added convenience of doorstep delivery. You just have to make sure your health is priority number one.
(Helen Malani is the chief shopping expert for Shopzilla.com, an E.W. Scripps company and the largest comparison-shopping search engine on the Web. Got something to say about shopping? E-mail askhelen(at)shopzilla.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.net)
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