Medicine bought from illegal Internet pharmacies might look real, but it could be counterfeit, contaminated, expired or otherwise unsafe. The FDA recently launched a campaign, BeSafeRX, to help consumers distinguish between legal and illegal online pharmacies.
The agency says safe online pharmacies:
• Always require a prescription from your doctor and don’t offer prescriptions for free or for sale.
• Provide a physical address and telephone number in the United States.
• Offer a licensed pharmacist to answer your questions.
• Are licensed with the state’s board of pharmacy.
• Don’t offer deep discounts or prices that seem too good to be true.
• Never send spam or unsolicited email offering cheap drugs.